


Wake Up

by Dona_Laura



Series: Let's push things forward [3]
Category: Mass Effect: Andromeda
Genre: Action/Adventure, Alien Technology, Angst, Angst and Feels, Blood and Injury, Comfort/Angst, Drinking, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Established Relationship, Eventual Sex, Explicit Language, F/M, Fluff, Genetic Disorders, Genetics, Hurt/Comfort, Investigations, Major Character Injury, Mystery, New Teammate, Parent-Child Relationship, Pining, Plot, Romance, Siblings, Smoking, back to the plot, gunfights, plot with feelings, remnant tech
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-03-29
Updated: 2019-04-09
Packaged: 2019-04-14 12:58:23
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 15
Words: 74,679
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14136522
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dona_Laura/pseuds/Dona_Laura
Summary: Five months after defeating the Archon, a well-deserved holiday finally awaits the Pathfinder. Outposts are settled, Kadara is flourishing, and Tann agreed to cut her some slack. At last.But something is lurking in the shadows. Something she could never have seen coming, about to crash down all of her plans.Every member of the Initiative still is in a perpetual fight for survival, and the Pathfinder is no exception.(art by@seokanorion tumblr)





	1. Good to be back

**Author's Note:**

> Please remember that I’m not a native speaker, and I have no beta. So, please forgive me for any grammar/spelling mistakes, as well as typos. I’m doing my best! ;)
> 
> This is the third part of this fic, reading the first two is not mandatory to understand the story. But if you're interested to know how Sara and Reyes came to this point in their relationship, you should enjoy those first two parts. 
> 
> Feedback is always much appreciated. And thank you for reading!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The one in private mode

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let’s begin nicely with some good old fluff, shall we? (completely self-indulgent chapter…)
> 
> Art by the amazing and super-talented [ @seokanori](https://seokanori.tumblr.com/) on tumblr.
> 
> EDIT: I wrote a very smutty piece to fill in the blanks in this first chapter... you can read it [ here](https://archiveofourown.org/works/14699481/chapters/34156793), if you want ;)

 

Sara enters Tartarus, hurrying through the doors into the dark, silent club. Her backpack carelessly hanging from her shoulder, she swiftly moves forward to the center of the room.

That’s the first time she returns to Kadara since she left like a fury, over four months ago. The place hasn’t changed much, and it almost feels soothing.

She breathes in deeply. Even without the loud music and the dim spotlights, even without the usual drunks gathered in an ethereal pool on the dancefloor and the lascivious dancers in their cages, the place smells of long nights and drunken laughs. It smells of senseless dances, of smoky memories.

It smells like home.

 

Kian spots her immediately and greets her from behind the bar. “Ryder! Long time no see!”

His voice is awkwardly amplified, bouncing off the empty walls of the club. She waves her hand at him, smiling. She’s about to ask him where everybody is, when she hears a chair loudly scraping on the upper floor and rushed footsteps coming toward the balcony. And soon, Reyes’ radiant face appears, wildly smiling at her from above.

Without thinking twice, she heads for the stairs with long, impatient strides. Her eyes are glued to his. She runs over the flights of stairs and joins him on top, where he’s waiting for her with his arms wide open.

She lets go of her bag on the floor and jumps inside his embrace without hesitation, and he easily lifts her up. He laughs out loud when he hears her giggle with pure joy in his ear, her legs circling his waist. But soon her hands grab his shirt and pull him close to her, her breath huffing into his mouth and eagerly seeking to connect with him. He happily obliges, spinning her around and carrying her to the bedroom.

“I’m glad you decided not to wear your armor today,” he manages to murmur in-between her hungry lips. 

Her laugh still echoes in the silent bar when the doors close behind them, locking them in their secluded reunion.

Two hours later, Reyes gets back inside the room with fresh drinks. He quietly puts down the glasses on the nightstand and sneaks in bed, where Sara fell asleep while he was gone.

She stretches when feeling his presence and arches her back against his body. He fondly hugs her and kisses her down the neck.

“Waking up, already?” he whispers in her ear.

She hums weakly, curved next to him, her eyes not completely open. He waits a while, trying to figure out if she’s going to fall asleep again or if she’s going to wake up. But she sighs lazily and literally purrs before turning to face him, revealing her satisfied smile.

“I hadn’t had a nap for too long… sorry. It feels so good, though.”

“I don’t know how you can feel better after only five minutes of rest.” He tenderly kisses her. “Do you ever sleep more than just a few hours?”

“Oh yes, I do. It definitely happens more often than you imagine. You’ll realize that soon, I think…”

She mysteriously lets the rest of the sentence die on her lips, and he raises an interested eyebrow. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“It means that I finally worked around the Tann issue, just like I told you I would.” A pure beam of happiness appears on her face. “He granted us two months.”

“Two months? Two fucking months?” He cannot believe his ears.

“A two-fucking-month holiday,” she confirms the info and nests into his arms. “Provided that no major invasion, explosion or attack happen, of course. But we’ve killed enough kett in the past months to finally enjoy some peace. I think we’re good.”

He hugs her close while considering the implications of this excellent news. To spend two entire months with her, it’s just… more than he ever dreamt of.

“Sara… I might be the happiest man in the whole galaxy, right now.”

She laughs softly against the skin of his chest and entwines her legs with his. “I always keep my promises. I told you so.” She cocks her head to look at him, her eyes narrowing as she slightly bites her lower lip.

He chuckles, and she pokes him in the ribs with a pointed finger. “What?”

“Nothing.”

But she insists. “What? Tell me.”

“I know what you’re thinking about…”

“Oh yeah? How would you know that?”

Reyes doesn’t immediately answer, and instead playfully raises his eyebrows in a suggestive way.

But to both their surprise, SAM’s voice abruptly comes from the omnitool on the floor, next to the bed with the pile of clothes she discarded earlier in her hurry. “I have noticed that you often nibble your lips when you are experiencing or remembering a moment of arousal, Pathfinder. I believe this is what Mr. Vidal was referring to.”

“SAM!” She’s amused, but also astonished. “Did I not tell you to switch to private mode?”

“Actually no, Pathfinder, you did not. I suppose that, in your haste to get back to Mr. Vidal, you forgot to set this parameter.”

Sara bursts out laughing. “Damn… But yes, you’re right. I was in a hurry.”

Reyes represses a sudden desire to tease her, and instead answers the AI with sparkling eyes. “You know that you can call me Reyes, SAM?”

“Hello, Mr. Vidal. I thank you for offering, but I’m afraid I cannot do that. Ryder specifically asked that I keep on calling you ‘Mr. Vidal’. I was led to believe that there is a certain appeal to the way I pronounce your name. Apparently, the extended vowel sound at the end of it is considered to be extremely sexy.”

“SAM!” A wide smile runs on Sara’s lips as she buries her face in Reyes’ neck, and she can’t help but giggle.

Reyes laughs out loud while hugging her. It might be the cutest thing he ever heard, and he kisses her on top of the head before answering the AI. “That’s ok, SAM. Call me Mr. Vidal, if that’s what Sara wants.”

“Yeah, thank you SAM,” Sara adds. “You can switch to private mode, now.”

 

They wait a few seconds, but SAM remains definitely shut.

She sighs. “Sorry about that.”

“Don’t worry. You and SAM have just made my day.” He quickly goes on before she has a chance to react. “But actually, I have something even better in mind. I got you a little something… but it’s a surprise.”

“Oh?” She lifts her head up to look at him. “What is it?”

He shakes his head, all cunning smile and smiling eyes. “I won’t tell you right away, what do you think? And you have to get dressed, first. Unless you’d like to cross the whole city completely naked? But I don’t know if I’m ready to share such a beautiful view...” He glares at the bare skin of her upper body with obvious satisfaction.

She suspiciously squints her eyes, trying to figure him out, but finally laughs quietly. “Alright, mysterious man. You got my attention. Let’s get dressed and see what you’ve been up to.”

He softly kisses her shoulder before letting her go. “To be honest… It’s been waiting for quite a while.” He playfully tosses her the bra that he pulled from under the bed, but she avoids it swiftly with a joyful, high-pitched shout. He continues like nothing happened. “I was waiting for the perfect occasion. But I think you’re gonna like it.”

She snorts while putting on her trousers. “I know you’re just teasing me, Reyes, and that you won’t tell me anything before we get there. I won’t indulge you and ask questions you won’t answer anyway. I’d rather pretend I’m not curious at all.”

His smile widens. “You know me too well.”

As soon as she finishes lacing her shoes, he grabs her hand and drags her into the coolness of the kadaran night.

 

Fresh air on her face contrasts sharply with the warmth of Reyes’ arm wrapped around her as they get out of the lift and cross the port. He didn’t say a word since they left Tartarus, and every time she looks at him he smiles mysteriously, keeping his mouth adamantly shut.

As much as she appreciates their silent walk, curiosity soon gets the better of her and she can’t help but ask. “Where are we going?”

His smug smile only gets wider. “I’m not telling you.”

“Fine. Fine,” she mumbles.

He enjoys her impatience more than he’d have thought. He squeezes her shoulder to reassure her. “So, tell me. I didn’t see the Tempest in the port, did you dock at Ditaeon?”

“I know you’re trying to distract me, Reyes.”

“Of course. But tell me.”

She shakes her head, a light smile running upon her face. “No, I left the Tempest on Eos, under Gil’s cautious care. She needs some serious maintenance before next trip… I travelled with a merchant shuttle.”

“You should have asked. I would have come to pick you up.”

“That’s ok. I have friends who owe me favors, too.”

Despite the late hour, the port still is crowded and lively. She notices many new shops on the market, some stalls still open. And several restaurants are spreading a delicious smell of food around the place. She suddenly remembers that she hasn’t had anything to eat in the past 8 hours when her stomach growls with envy.

Reyes hears it, too. “You’re hungry?”

“Yeah. More like starving, actually.”

“Come.” He drags her to the nearest table. “If you don’t ask what it’s made of, I guarantee that this is the best burger you’ll ever taste in Andromeda.”

“Great. More questions that I’m not allowed to ask…” But she follows him without commenting further. “And what about your ‘little something’?”

“It can wait a bit longer.”

As they sit down together, it feels a bit surreal. To be here, enjoying a quiet evening stroll and now sitting with him out in the open. Yet, it feels natural, too. And no one seems to even notice. He orders food and she looks around in the meantime, but nobody pays any attention to them.

Except maybe for a tall, dark silhouette, waiting and lurking in the shadows. She frowns.

Reyes catches her glance and grabs her hand on the table, mistaking her reaction. “Don’t worry. Nobody will bother us here.”

“You seem pretty confident.”

“Because I am. Let’s say that I’ve spread the word.” He cocks his head and smiles at her. “Nobody will ever risk upsetting the Charlatan’s most valuable smuggler. That’s one of the finest privileges of this job, you know.”

“Yeah, sure. That, and…” She points with her head to his left, to the man hidden in the shadows, “… the fierce turian watching over us. It should dissuade anybody from upsetting you, obviously.”

She motions Kassim to come over, and Reyes’ first lieutenant seems really embarrassed when his face appears into the light.

He clears his throat and immediately apologizes to his boss. “I’m sorry, sir. I didn’t think she could spot me…”

“That’s alright, Kassim.” Sara gently smiles at him. “It’s not your fault. Your boss knows that I have a super AI in my head that does most of the job.”

Reyes doesn’t comment, and Kassim poorly smiles, relieved that they’re not mad at him. “Glad to have you back, Pathfinder. We’ve missed you.” He doesn’t seem to hold a grudge for the punch she gave him, last time she was here.

Sara claps on his shoulder to thank him. “And it’s good to be back.” She glances at Reyes. “But maybe you could enjoy the night on your own? I can defend the both of us, if need be. Don’t worry.”

Reyes nods his approval. “You can leave us, Kassim. Enjoy your night off.”

He waits until the turian is far enough, then leans toward Sara and points a finger at her. “Are you trying to undermine all my authority here?”

She bursts out laughing. “I’m sorry, Reyes. But the poor guy… he probably has better things to do, you know. And as you said, nothing will happen. Nobody’s that stupid…”

Her roguish smile widens when he sighs with feigned annoyance. But before he can say anything else, the waiter brings their food. She hungrily dives into her plate.

 

He watches her for a moment before turning to his own, with a more contained enthusiasm.

“So, tell me more about that last mission. No troubles? No fight?”

She shakes her head while biting into her burger. It’s indeed delicious, and she chews with pleasure the juicy meat. She takes her time to swallow with a content face before finally answering him.

“Honestly? It was the easiest mission we ever had since coming in Heleus. Believe me, a real piece of cake. No troubles, and no fight. Quite frankly… we almost got bored. Straight to Meridian, then straight to Eos, and not a kett in sight. Really, nothing more than that. Being a Pathfinder is not always as exciting as people think.”

“I don’t get why you had to do it yourself. Couldn’t someone else just go there and fetch it for you?”

“I like to run my own errands, Reyes. Besides, everything involving an unknown technology is my top priority, and we’re the ones who found this… artifact. I don’t know how to call it.”

“It sounds very mysterious…”

“Well, it is. Meridian’s labs are not fit for studying kett technology. We still don’t know what it is exactly, but we hope scientists on Prodromos will have more luck… Anyway. That’s all you need to know.” She changes the subject and points at her burger. “This is really good, by the way. I haven’t had such a great meal in ages.”

“That’s because you haven’t tried my homemade cuisine yet.”

The moment the words cross his lips, he immediately regrets what he just said.

The burger Sara holds in her hand suddenly stops on its way to her mouth. “Uh… You mean your famous Spanish cuisine?” She looks at him from behind her half-closed eyes. “Don’t get me started on that. Last time you said that, it got ugly.”

Though she spoke in a matter-of-fact tone, he knows she’s testing him.

“Well…” He thinks fast to regain his composure. “Now that I know you’ve spent some time in South America, I imagine you probably know all about the local food, right?”

“Right...” She’s not really convinced. “Though I still don’t know how you managed to find out about that.”

He grins. “And I still don’t know anything about that trip you took to Chile. Yet, you don’t hear me bitching about that.”

A smile briefly appears on Sara’s stern face, but she quickly hides it behind her food and starts eating again. Nonetheless, he still can see it in her eyes while she speaks.

“There’s not much to say, really. I spent 6 months digging dirt in the Atacama Desert. Literally eating sand all day long.”

He raises a doubtful eyebrow, and she laughs. “Okay, I might have been doing more than mere archaeological excavations. I’ve brought many things from my trip to Chile… least pleasant of all, crabs…”

He chokes on his food, but she goes on with a smile on her lips. “… and a shitty Spanish accent. Believe me. You don’t want to hear it.”

“Oh, but I do. Not about the itchy part, I mean.” He smirks, and leans toward her, whispering. “Tell me something in Spanish. Please. I wanna hear it.”

“Really, Reyes. I sound much better when I’m drunk. Trust me.”

“That can be arranged, you know.” He immediately orders drinks, raising two fingers in the air.

She laughs. “Maybe someday. When the time is right.” She pauses, and winks. “I promise.”

He insists no more. But deep down, he makes a mental promise that he will make her hold onto her words.

After that, they both quietly eat for a moment, exchanging amused glares from time to time. That’s comforting, and the silence is heartening. It’s the good kind of silence. The kind that they could get used to, the kind that mirrors a tender complicity. Even the waiter, who brings their glasses, cannot interrupt their reciprocated smiles.

 

Finally, she wipes her mouth and pushes her empty plate aside with a content sigh. “That was delicious. You were right.”

He cocks his head, as usual when pleased with himself, a smug smile spreading over his face. “All you have to do is ask. You want something else?”

“Mm… Do you have a cigarette, by any chance?”

He chuckles while reaching to his pocket. “Indulging yourself, hu?”

She smiles. “Yeah. I deserve a little treat. And tonight’s the night.”

He lights up a cigarette and hands it to her. “I drink to that.” He raises his glass.

She sets back on her seat while he drinks, dragging from her cigarette with evident satisfaction. She closes her eyes and deeply inhales.

There’s a peaceful contentment on her face, and he oddly thinks to himself that he probably enjoys this simple moment more than anything they’ve lived together so far. He finds a strange comfort in the way she puffs the smoke out of her lungs, tilting her head backward to look at the stars. Wrapped in the smoky cloud of her thoughts, she’s lost in her contemplation of the night sky.

He leans over the table to hold her hand, casting his shadow on her face. Her smile only seems brighter when she turns to face him. To think that this smile is made only for him–that’s just the best feeling of all.

“Thank you for this, Reyes,” she whispers to him. “This is perfect.”

He leans further forward and softly kisses her. “You are perfect. Never change a thing.”

She giggles with pure joy. “Now you’re flattering me.”

“Is it working?”

She gives him a roguish smile. “You know it is.”

“Great.” That’s all he needed to hear. He gets up and holds his hand out to her. “Let’s go, now. There’s still a surprise waiting for you.”

“Finally!” She drags one last puff, throws her half-finished cigarette in her glass and takes his offered hand without hesitation. “I was trying not to show, but I’m dying to know!”

 

They laugh together as he leads the way outside the market, leaving the noise and the city’s lights behind them. They walk in a completely empty dead-end street, fingers tightly laced. They’re soon overlooking the whole port, whose recent transformations are stunning. A breathtaking view is offered to them, but Sara doesn’t care.

She’s too busy to notice the mountains shape in the distance, or the thousand stars above their heads. Too busy drowning in a blessed felicity she never felt before. She rests her head against his shoulder as they walk into the night, not even trying to figure out where they’re going. She’d follow him anywhere, anyway.

He guides her toward a recently built block of housings. With a squeeze on her hand, he indicates her to look ahead, and she shivers with impatience when she finally understands.

Reyes feels her excitement, of course. Her laughter is like a ray of sunshine piercing his chest with its golden lights.

“Last floor,” he whispers in her ear. He motions her to climb the stairs first, grabbing her waist from behind and closely following her.

Sara turns to look at him every two steps on her way up, but she remains silent, her smile widening at each of her footsteps until they reach the third and last floor of the building. She stops in front of a massive blast door.

“Let me.” He leans forward to enter the code on the console, and she takes the opportunity to circle his neck with her arms, tightly clung next to him, all warm and soft against his body. When he looks down and meets her gaze, she looks very serious all of a sudden. Her eyes are filled with something else, now. A profound, loud sense of understanding, maybe.

He kisses her down the neck. “Welcome home, Sara.”

He opens the door, and she cannot believe her eyes when she looks inside. “Fuck, Reyes! Is that what you call a ‘little something’?”

He picks her up in his arms and carries her through the threshold and into the flat, grinning from ear to ear. “Well… I may have lied.”


	2. Queen of Kadara

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The one in full disclosure

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wonderful art by the no-less wonderful [ @seokanori](https://seokanori.tumblr.com/) on tumblr. Thank you so much, lovely!!!  
> 

 

“Come on Sara, hurry up! We’re gonna be late!”

She doesn’t answer. Instead, she dashes across the bedroom, half-naked and her hair still wet from the shower. She starts rummaging once again in the same container she already searched twice.

Leaning on the door frame, he calls after her once again. “Sara…”

“Hold on a second. I can’t find the clothes I’m looking for.”

“I told you, you should have tidied that up already. You’ve been here for almost a week... How hard is it to put your things away in the closet?”

She gives him an exasperated look over her shoulder. “Don’t lecture me, Reyes. I’ll get to it when I’ll get to it. Right now, I need to find this damn shirt…”

He shakes his head with an amused smile while she gets back to pulling off clothes from the box in front of her, carelessly throwing them on the floor. The mess is quickly pilling up in her back, but she doesn’t seem to care.

He comes closer. “Here. Let me help you, at least.” He kneels and opens the container next to hers. He smiles widely when he sees what’s on top of it. “Could it be in this box, by any chance?” he innocently asks.

“Mm? No, it should be in here. Damn!” Frustrated, she sits back with a loud sigh. “I just… I want to wear clothes that don’t have Initiative tags on them. Is that too much to ask?”

He’s about to comfort her and tell her that she will be stunning no matter what she wears, when something else draws his attention. He suddenly digs into the container. “I think I found something… Probably not what you’re looking for, but definitely no Initiative tag on it.”

When she realizes what he’s doing, she tries to stop him with a squeaky voice. “No, not in that one! Don’t look–”

But too late. He picks up what appears to be a very sexy, and tiny, red silky piece of lingerie. He triumphantly holds it in front of him. “I’d rather see you wearing this.”

She chuckles while trying to take it from him. “Straight to the good stuff, as always, huh?”

He lifts his arm out of her reach. “Always. You know me.”

After a few failed attempts to steal the red piece from his grip, punctuated with low growls, she only succeeded in getting closer to him and his lustful grin. She gives up, pouting. “For your information, it’s called a bustier. And you’re not really helping here, you know.”

“I like having you half-naked and completely at my mercy. Never underestimate that fact.”

He pushes boxes and lingerie aside and leans toward her, pleading for a kiss. She indulges him with laughter in her throat, grabbing him by the collar and attracting him closer. They both fall gently on the ground when he unexpectedly loses his balance, giggling and kissing.

“I’d love to stay here forever, lying on the floor with you, you know,” he whispers in her ear before sitting up. “But seriously, Sara.”

He grabs the shirt he spotted earlier in the box and sticks it inside her hand. He indicates her to get up by clapping her butt. “Get dressed now. Keema is going to kill me if we show up late.”

She’s astonished for a second, incredulously looking at the t-shirt he just handed her, but quickly grins when she understands. “… You had it the whole time, you sneaky bastard…”

He doesn’t answer and winks at her.

“You’re the worst, Reyes.”

She shakes her head, grimacing. But she finally gets up and starts putting on her clothes, and he watches her with a wide, satisfied beam of happiness.

 

When they enter the throne room – or rather, what used to be the throne room – Sara barely recognizes the place, except for the empty, large chair now standing behind a huge wooden desk. The building has been turned into a brand-new city hall, buzzing with activity and busy clerks in every corner. From the outside, no one could ever guess how much the room has changed. No more suspicious guards at the entrance, no more lurking and frightened drunks sitting at the tables. The blinding light coming from the large windows hurts her eyes for a second, and she blinks in surprise.

Most of the population is angara, but Sara sees many asari and human faces among the crowd, too, and even some krogan and salarians. Everybody is working with efficiency, concentrated on their task, and the room echoes with hushed murmurs and diligent conversations.

She looks at Reyes, and he squeezes her hand with joy when he meets her proud gaze. He leads her further ahead, his own smile widening.

Keema was clearly waiting for them and greets them with obvious pleasure. She holds Sara in her arms to welcome her, and although she’s surprised at first, Sara quickly hugs her back.

“It’s really good to see you, Pathfinder.”

“It’s good to see you too, Keema. It’s been way too long.”

The angara nods. “I’m glad the stars finally aligned in your favor. For the both of you. For a moment, I thought he was going to give up, you know? But I’m happy to see that you managed to put some sense in this stubborn mind of his, Ryder.”

Sara laughs. “To be honest, he did most of the hard work. All the credit should go to him, on this one.”

Keema looks at Reyes, contemplating him. “Really? Who would have thought…” She gently smiles to him. “But come with me. We’ll be more comfortable to talk in private.”

Sara notices two armed angara, discreetly standing guard in front of a hidden door upon their right. Reyes invites her to enter first and whispers to her when she passes in front of him, “Welcome in my office, Pathfinder.”

She snorts. “Office? Fancy word for a smuggler.”

But as soon as she enters the room, she has to admit that it actually looks very nice, even if it is more a conference room than a real office. There is no desk, only a large, round table in the middle with comfortable leather seats around it and, at its center, a vidcon terminal.

Sara softly whistles between her lips as she proceeds further and sits next to Reyes, appreciating the luxury angaran design of the comfortable, leather-perfumed chair. On the walls, detailed maps of Govorkam system alternate with white boards covered with figures and complicated graphs she has no time to figure out.

 

Keema speaks first. “This is an unofficial meeting, Ryder. I know you are currently on holidays. We just thought it would be nice to show you how much the city is growing, while we have the opportunity.” She looks at Reyes, and he continues for her.

“We have great plans for Kadara, and what you’ve seen is only a part of it, Sara. We won’t stop at the port. Next month the construction of the new road between Ditaeon and the city will begin. That’s our top priority, right now. But once it’s done, we’ll fund the construction of roads to Sulfur Spring and Spirits’ Ledge, too. The long-term goal is to provide a viable network for as many people as possible. Our population is expanding every day and so is the outpost’s, with hundreds of people being woken out of cryo from the arks.”

Keema goes on when he pauses, and Sara realizes that they probably have carefully prepared this meeting, unofficial as it may be. It almost feels as if they rehearsed their performance… But the angara doesn’t seem to notice her amusement, or she chooses to ignore it.

“The angara people feels at home here, and we want it to stay that way. But we also want everybody to feel welcome. Even if the town is now completely under angaran control, people of the Milky Way will always be welcome in our city.”

“What about the Charlatan? And the Collective?” Sara interrupts her to look at Reyes. “You left the port?”

“Not completely. We’re still in town to maintain peace and order, and keep an eye on certain transactions...” he answers her. “The Charlatan’s identity will remain unknown, of course. Officially, I’m a simple trader, whose talents are particularly appreciated.”

Sara hardly represses a smirk. “You say that like you run a legit business.”

“But I do. Here, on Kadara, ‘legit’ has a totally different meaning. We do things our way.”

She raises one hand. “I don’t even want to know.”

Reyes doesn’t comment and goes on. “But we had to adapt. Some people wanted to go back to their lives and left the Collective’s militia. I have relocated most of our forces in Draullir’s caves and several strategic posts. The threat over the port has decreased, anyway. The outpost and the roadworks will provide enough security and work for everyone.”

“So that’s why Tartarus looked so empty when I arrived…” Suddenly, everything’s starting to make sense, and Sara understands that this has always been the plan. The Charlatan’s plan.

Reyes’ smile widens. “Yes. Kian and I, we’re going to transform it into a casino.”

Sara bursts out laughing. “That’s a great idea. Luring poor members of the Initiative to come and lose all their credits in your town… That’s a very smart move.”

They both look really proud of themselves, indeed. Reyes, in particular, seems truly happy to see that she approves of their actions, and she presses his thigh under the table.

“Thank you both for the update. But you didn’t have to convince me of anything, really. I know you’re doing an incredible job here, ruling the city and all. I never doubted your capabilities, of any of you. And you certainly don’t need my approval.”

“We also wanted to thank you, Ryder. None of this could have happened without your help. And despite what some people may think, I know you didn’t do it just for him.” Keema points to Reyes with her head, a friendly smile on her lips. “I know you did it for the people. So, thank you, Pathfinder.”

Sara waves away her words. “That’s nothing, Keema. I was just doing my job. I was happy to help.”

“Glad to hear that. But there’s always more to be done. Like Reyes just said, we won’t stop at the port…”

She hesitates for a second, and Sara half-expects Reyes to talk again. But instead, Keema goes on. The tension on her voice is barely perceptible, though she unconsciously stiffened on her chair.

“As you’ve probably noticed, we’ve built as many housings as possible, but the port is not large enough to provide accommodation for everyone. Therefore, we’ve decided to open the Slums – and by the way, we prefer to name it the Agora, now. It’s much classier.”

Sara leans back in her seat. She knows that the conversation is about to take a new turn. Keema’s hesitation told her all she needed to know. “It seems appropriate.” Crossing her arms over her chest, she waits. But not for long.

“The Slums are history. We’ll bring down the fence in a few days and hold a formal ceremony to celebrate this occasion. Barriers are supposed to protect us, not cut us off from one another. I hope you’ll be able to join us, Ryder. It would send a nice message if the Pathfinder was there to support our efforts.”

Sara instinctively winced the moment she heard the word ‘ceremony’, and immediately turns to Keema with an apologetic face when she realizes it.

“I’m sorry, really. I’d love to.” She clears her throat, and she can feel Reyes laughing silently in her back. He knows how much she hates official meetings, not to mention endless celebrations. She sends him a warning glare over her shoulder. “Really sorry, Keema, but I’m leaving Kadara tomorrow. I doubt I’ll be back in time.”

“Oh?” Despite her tone, Keema doesn’t really look intrigued. “Why are you leaving us so soon?”

“I won’t be gone for long.” Sara avoids the question with a dismissive nod. Despite the evasive answer, Keema doesn’t press for more, and Sara suddenly realizes what’s going on. “But you already knew about that, didn’t you Keema?”

The angara doesn’t seem embarrassed at all. “Yes. Reyes told me.”

“Then, why did you ask?”

Keema answers very naturally, without any hint of shame. “I asked Reyes to bring you here, because we need a favor. Director Jarun Tann has been… quite stubborn recently, and he refuses to send an official representative to attend the ceremony, despite our repeated pleas. To be honest, ever since your relationship with Reyes went public, he has been rejecting every of our inquiries… even simple trade requests.”

Sara immediately shakes her head and sighs with annoyance. “I was afraid he might do something like that. I’m sorry. Tann can be…” she searches for the right word, “… an utter pain in the ass. You were right to tell me. I will talk to him.”

“We would appreciate that.” The angara is sincerely grateful.

“But you should know that he’s probably going to ask for something in return. I will have to make promises to him. That’s the way he works.”

“We will accept all his demands.”

Behind her, Reyes suddenly coughs loudly. Keema obliges him immediately. “We count on you to maintain negotiations at a reasonable level, of course. Our funds are far from unlimited.”

“Of course.” Sara feels, as loud and clear as if she was watching him, Reyes’ smile widening in her back. “In the meantime, I will ask mayor Tate to attend the celebration. Christmas is a friend. He won’t refuse if I ask politely.”

Keema’s face never seemed brighter. “That would be fantastic. How could I ever thank you, Ryder?”

“Really, there’s no need.”

“Let me at least invite you for dinner tonight, before your departure? It would be a great honor to have you both at my table. We’ve been neighbors for nearly a week, but somehow we’ve never come across each other? Have you even left the place, by the way?”

Sara laughs out loud, but chooses to overlook Keema’s last question. “I will never refuse an invitation from the Queen of Kadara herself. It’ll be with great pleasure, of course.”

“If anyone deserves that title, it’s you, Ryder.” The angara dismisses her words, but, surprisingly, she seems very happy of the compliment. It might be the first time that Sara sees her displaying such an obvious contentment.

“I’m no queen, Keema. And I hate titles. Pathfinder suits me just fine.”

“Well, they named a planet after you, so I guess that you need no other title, indeed.”

Sara grunts with disdain. “Please, don’t mention that. I hated the idea from the start, but there was nothing I could do. Sadly.”

“I think it is a great honor they did to you.”

“To have my father’s tomb named after me?” Sara abruptly drops the smile and vehemently shakes her head. “I don’t think so.”

Keema’s lips stretch into a thin line. “I’m sorry. I never thought about that…”

“No worries, Keema. Nobody did.” Sara shrugs her shoulders. “It’s not your fault. I just have to get used to it.”

She turns to Reyes and the sudden worry in his eyes. Just by looking at her, he understands that she needs this conversation to be over. He silently nods and gets up. “Thank you, Keema. That’ll be all. We’ll see you tonight.”

The angara wordlessly agrees, still fazed by Sara’s impulsive reaction, and follows them outside the room without commenting further. By the time they part at the main doors, Keema seems to have regained her composure. She warmly shakes Ryder’s hand and thanks her once again. Sara tries to answer her the best she can. But she just can’t really put her heart into it.

 

When they get out of the building, the afternoon is almost over. A freshening breeze is slowly evacuating the dust and heat of the day. Sara remains pensive as they walk slowly among the crowd, and Reyes cannot help but wonder why she’s still so preoccupied, so long after her father’s death. If he’s not mistaken, it’s been almost a year. And she never mentioned anything about him…

He chooses the safest approach he can think of. “… All things considered, that went pretty well.”

His intonation carries a hidden question that she cannot ignore, even if she wants to.

“Really, Reyes, the demonstration was not necessary. You could have just asked me to pull some strings. It would have been easier.”

“Keema wanted to talk to you.” He shakes his head. “You call me stubborn, but I swear that this angara woman is even worse. I told her that you wouldn’t fall for it. But I really wanted to show you everything we have done while you were gone. It was the perfect opportunity.”

She doesn’t answer.

“I was surprised, though… of your reaction, I mean.” He hesitantly eyes her. He remembers the pictures of her childhood he saw on the Nexus, and how he noticed that her father was on none of them.

“… You never talk about your father.”

“And now you know the reason why. I always get too emotional, or even angry, and… I don’t like that.” She sighs. “I guess self-control really isn’t my forte.”

“That’s one way to put it…”

Sara finally lets a tiny smile appear on her lips. “Look, I’ll apologize to Keema later. Alright?”

He can feel that she doesn’t want to elaborate on the subject. He respects that, and softly kisses her to soothe her.

 

“What do you want to do?” he asks after a moment.

“Let’s go home. I still have a lot to do before tonight, considering that we don’t want to be late at Keema’s.” She nudges him with her elbow. “By the way, why did she say she was our neighbor?”

“Technically, she’s not. She lives in the first floor of the building.”

“And you never cared to tell me before?”

“I had no time.”

“Yeah. Right.” She snorts. “You had a week. Sounds like plenty of time to me.”

“And you had plenty of time to put your things away. But I guess we both had better things to do.” He circles her shoulders with one arm and broadly smiles to her.

She returns his smile. “That’s one way to put it.”

He’s delighted to see that the tension on her face disappeared.

“And who’s on the second floor?” She’s curious, now.

“No one.”

She looks at him with surprise. “What do you mean, no one? … You bought the two floors?”

“Yes. I like my privacy. Especially with you around, making all those delicious little noises.”

She giggles when he tickles her in the neck with his thumb. “Mm… yes, that’s what I’m talking about.”

She keeps on giggling as he now teases her with his nose, and he can feel that the sad mood totally vanished, swept away by her laughter.

He suddenly realizes how much he’s going to miss that sound.

“I’m kind of mad that you’re leaving me already, you know,” he murmurs in her ear.

“I know.” She rests her head against him.

“And a bit jealous, too. I know he’s like a brother to you, but I don’t like that you come running every time he reaches out to you.”

“You can’t seriously be jealous of Gil? You shouldn’t, really. He’s the main reason Tann granted us such long holidays. You should thank him instead.”

“But admit it, that Gil thing is just an excuse. Since you received that email asking you to go to Eos, yesterday, you’ve been agitated… This is just too perfect a coincidence, and usually I don’t believe in coincidences.”

“Believe it or not, that’s exactly the way it is. Come with me, if you don’t trust me.”

“I wish I could. But I can’t leave Kadara now. There are too many things going on, and–”

“I’ve kept you away from business for too long already, I know.” She gently interrupts him. “I’ll be back in a few days. You won’t even notice I’m gone.”

“I doubt that.”

She silently hugs him for a short while as they keep on walking, then lifts her head to look at him. “Let’s make a deal. When I’ll get back, you get to choose what I wear.”

He raises an interested eyebrow. “Anything? Really?”

She nods, and he pretends to deeply think about it for a while, considering all the possibilities in his head. “Mm, I have a better idea. I get to choose what you wear while you clean the mess you left in the apartment. Tonight.”

Sara roars with laughter. “It dangerously sounds like a bad idea, if we want to show up on time for dinner.”

“I will help you, of course.”

She doesn’t have to look at him to know how big a smile is now curling his lips. She hears it in his voice, the same way she feels the warmth of his gaze on her.

“Of course. It’s so hard to argue with you, Reyes. But remind me to make sure all my boxes are safely locked when I leave tomorrow. Before you go through all of them and find out about all my dirty secrets.”

He laughs out loud before kissing her on the forehead. “Smart girl… Am I that predictable?”

“Absolutely.” She grins widely before dragging him with haste along the street. “I know how fond you are of my underwear, now.”


	3. Science camp

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The one with surprises

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Gorgeous cover by [ @seokanori](https://seokanori.tumblr.com/).

 

She gets off the shuttle and stretches with delight her arms and legs. She’s used to long trips and never minded staying put in a confined space for hours, but the merchant ship lacked the comfort of the Tempest.

Sara smiles to herself. After only one week away from work and Initiative business, she already got accustomed to warm beds and lazy mornings without fear of being woken up by the sound of shrill alarms. It’s amazing how fast she went from a solid year of endless missions to doing absolutely nothing all day long. And it’s a bit scary, too. But it just feels so good to take the edge off her everyday responsibilities…

When the smell of the outpost reaches her nose for the first time, a smell of sand and metal, her first thought is for a hot bath. She desperately craves for a good, long bath.

Yes, she definitely softened.

 _And I know exactly who to blame_ , she thinks to herself. Unconsciously, her smile widens while she gets down the ramp.

 

Cora is waiting for her. Even it’s been merely a week since she last saw her, Sara suddenly realizes how much she missed her friend. She holds the huntress in her arms as soon as she steps foot on the platform.

Cora is surprised at first, but soon relaxes in Sara’s embrace and hugs her back with a small laugh.

“Missed me that much, huh?” She’s smiling when Sara lets her go.

“Yeah… never thought I would, but here I am…” She winks at her friend. “Don’t ask me why.”

The huntress’ lips slightly curl at the banter, but as usual she doesn’t comment. “Did you have a safe journey?”

“Mm, it was alright. But it’s not the same if I have nobody to tease during the trip.”

Cora scoffs. “That’s the only reason why you tolerate us on board of your ship, I know.”

With an amused glare, she starts walking toward the prefab building at the center of the settlement, but Sara gently grabs her by the wrist to stop her.

“Wait. I have something for you.” She reaches to her pocket and pulls out a small plastic bag full of seeds. “Here. It’s from Kadara. It’s a kind of blue daisies, but bigger. Way bigger, SAM says it could grow up to 2 meters high. I figured that it could grow here, too. And that it would look nice in your garden.”

Cora unexpectedly blushes, looking at the seeds Sara’s handing her with sudden emotion. Her face glows with joy as she holds out a hesitant hand in Sara’s direction, but she abruptly takes it away before touching it. “Wait… you say it’s from Kadara… Please tell me it does not come from the experimental farm of the two dummies?”

“No, it’s not, don’t worry. SAM analyzed it, and it’s not toxic.”

Cora frowns, not entirely convinced, and Sara raises her hands in protest. “I swear, it’s not toxic. In any way.”

“Ok, then. Thank you.” Cora briefly holds her in her arms, still a bit stiff and tense. But Sara sees how pleased she really is. Despite the professional distance that the huntress puts in every of their conversations, there’s a true friend behind each of Cora’s smile. A friend Sara can rely on, no matter what.

She taps on Cora’s shoulder. “You don’t need to thank me. Where are the others?”

“They’re in the med bay. Jaal and Suvi couldn’t make it on time, but all the others are waiting for us. Come on. You’ll see, she’s beautiful.”

 

Sara follows her in the Prodromos heat. The sun hits hard on her skin, but she welcomes it with pleasure after hours spent in the coldness of the empty, dark space.

Suddenly, without warning, a blue storm coming from behind strikes her and knocks her over in the sand with a loud shout.

“Ryyyder!”

Sara falls under the unexpected weight of her friend on her back. Peebee’s so overexcited that she doesn’t realize Sara has sand all over her clothes, hair and mouth. She grabs her and they roll together on the ground, both laughing.

When they finally stop roaring on the floor, Sara has to spit to get rid of the sand in her mouth. She wipes her lips with her hand before widely smiling to Cora, who’s looking at them the same way a mother would scowl at her turbulent children, casting her shadow on the both of them still lying on the ground.

Sara hardly contains another burst when she spots the disapproving look on Cora’s face. She’s still a little breathless when she manages to sit up, giggling spasms violently agitating her. She points at Peebee with one finger, her other hand clutching her stomach in an attempt to control herself. “See, Cora? That’s how you’re supposed to greet your dearly missed friends!”

The huntress cannot hold it, this time. She laughs out loud while Peebee helps Ryder to get on her feet. Sara circles Peebee’s neck with her left arm and Cora’s waist with the other. Her mouth his still crunchy from all the sand she just ate, but she doesn’t care.

“Damn. I missed you too, Peebs. Stupid, silly Peebee.”

Still giggling together, the three of them head toward the med bay.

 

Dr. Ramirez is getting outside of the building when they reach the top of the stairs. He greets Ryder and shakes her hand. “Pathfinder. Please try to remain as silent as possible within the ward. There are other patients, but your friends seem to constantly forget about that.”

Sara broadly smiles as loud shouts go up from inside. It sounds like her teammates are having a great time, indeed.

“I’ll tell them to keep it down, doctor.” She nods and moves forward, quickly followed by Cora and Peebee. She turns to the latter after only two steps, and surreptitiously whispers to her. “But I doubt they’ll listen…”

The asari bursts out laughing, and Ramirez suspiciously looks back at them. Sara swiftly enters the building before he can say anything.

 

Inside the ward, the first thing she hears is Liam and Vetra, loudly arguing over the issue of the last soccer game. Something involving an offside player, apparently. Next to them, Drack, Lexi and Kallo are talking to Jill. Beside the bed, Gil is turning is back on her.

“Hey guys!”

All heads simultaneously turn to her, and friendly cheers and greetings briefly drown out the regular beeps of the monitoring machines as Sara claps hands with each of them.

“Ryder! It’s so nice of you to be here!” Jill is widely smiling at her from the bed, though she looks exhausted.

“Jill, you look radiant.” Sara gently squeezes her shoulder to congratulate her. “I’m so happy for you!” She looks around. “Where is the precious little thing?”

“Come, I’ll show you to the nursery.” Gil’s smile has never been wider.

Sara follows him to the next room. “I didn’t know there was a nursery here.”

“Not until recently. We were taken by surprise… But the medical staff did an amazing job in preparing everything in time.”

Gil stops in front of an incubator. “Ryder… Let me introduce you to Meri Gillian Brody.” He cannot help the emotion to show through his voice.

Sara looks at the tiny, little baby quietly wriggling under a white blanket. “She’s beautiful, Gil. Congratulations.”

“Yes, she looks just like her mother. Let’s hope it’ll stay that way.”

His cheeks are as pink as the baby’s soft skin while he lovingly contemplates his daughter, and Sara can’t decide which of them is the most adorable.

“Will she… be alright? I mean, she looks really good, and… I don’t know anything about babies, but she was born a month early, so…”

Gill suddenly seems very tired, even if he tries his best to keep smiling. “Doctors are confident. She should be out of the incubator in less than two weeks. When she was born, she had severe apnea due to respiratory failure and she scared the hell out of us. But her lungs are getting stronger every day. It’s amazing how much she has grown in 3 days. She’s a fighter.”

Sara circles his shoulders with one arm. “Of course, she is. Didn’t you just say she looks exactly like her mother?”

She sounds as confident as possible, and it works. Gil looks at her with warm eyes and nods thankfully. “Thank you, Ryder. It means a lot to me that you came so quickly to see her. I’m sorry if I disrupted your holidays.”

“Don’t be silly, Gil. You’re my best friend. And I’m going to be the best auntie little Meri will ever have, considering you don’t have siblings. I’ll always be there for you. Both of you.”

He doesn’t respond, and for a while they remain silently looking at Meri, who has now completely fallen asleep and is sucking on her tiny, little thumb. The vision is almost hypnotic.

They’re pulled out of their sweet reverie when a sudden burst of hilarity comes from the room next door. Sara briefly presses Gil’s shoulders before releasing him with a sigh.

“I guess we'd better go back there and let her sleep quietly. She needs rest.” She smiles to her friend. “And Jill needs rest, too. Maybe we should leave the three of you alone.”

“Nah, it feels good to have people around. And Jill really likes you, you know. She was very pleased to learn that you were coming. Even if she always teases me and says she should be jealous of our friendship. She says I can sleep with whomever I want, but I cannot have another female friend. Do you believe that?” He points to his head with one finger and rolls his eyes, as if to say that all women are crazy, and Sara softly chuckles.

“I believe that. In fact, I’m not surprised at all. It sounds just like her.” She glances one last time at the sleeping baby. “Come on, now. Let’s tell the others to keep quiet before they wake her up.”

 

Surprisingly, all her crew goes silent when they get back inside the ward. Her friends are looking at her with sparkling eyes, and Sara instantly knows that they were talking about her.

She hardly represses a smile as she innocently asks what’s going on.

“Oh, nothing…” Jill answers her. “Your friends were just telling me how surprised they were to see you here. They never thought you’d be so eager to leave your boyfriend alone.”

“Yes, Ryder, are you already getting bored with the kadaran life?” Peebee adds mischievously.

Sara grins widely. “Did you hear me complaining? No, you don’t hear me complaining. It means everything’s fine. And that’s all you need to know, you nosy people.”

They all grouse loudly, disappointed.

“Oh, tell us, Ryder! Does your boyfriend treat you right, at least?” As usual, Peebee insists and presses for more.

Sara’s enigmatic smile widens even more. “No complains about that, either.”

Gil nudges her in the ribs. “One week away from us and look how relaxed she is… Holidays suit you just fine, Pathfinder.”

Jill looks at her. “Yes, there’s a curious glow on your face, Ryder. You seem… blooming. Or are you blushing?”

Gill’s best friend has always been the teasing type, always ready for a good laugh. That’s how the engineer described her from the start, and Sara knew from the moment she met Jill that she was a real joker. So, she’s not surprised by the banter, and she quietly answers with her smuggest smile. “You’ll quickly realize, Jill, that I never blush. Ask anyone.”

“Yeah, that’s just her usual look when she’s thinking about Reyes,” Peebee adds with a playful tone. “In front of us she always pretends to be so serious, but deep down in her head I’m sure that she’s all, like, ‘Oh Reyes, I miss you… Oh Reyes, those things you do to me…’”

She closes her eyes and hugs her own arms round her shoulders as she mimics the scene, pretending to be kissing an invisible person. Sara bursts out laughing and gently pushes away the asari to make her stop. “I don’t sound like that. Not at all. Not even in my head.”

But no one seems to believe her. Even Drack joins the chorus of mocking shouts and applause that follow Peebee’s performance. They all keep on teasing her until, fortunately, Dr. Ramirez comes back and forces them out of the infirmary. “Out, all of you, now! Patients here need rest. I expected better of you, Pathfinder.” He points a finger at her.

Sara tries to answer him, but she has tears in her eyes for laughing so hard. Trying to catch her breath, she pushes her friends toward the exit and winks at Gil and Jill. “We’ll see you tonight on the Tempest to celebrate. In the meantime, rest.”

They all get out of the building, Dr. Ramirez’s disapproving glare fixed on their backs.

 

As they get down the stairs, laughter progressively drops to hummed giggles. They all stop and gather in circle in the sand.

“What about Suvi? And Jaal?” Sara asks to Kallo. “Why aren't they here?”

“I tried to reach Suvi, but I’m not sure she even got my email,” the salarian responds with pinched lips. “She joined a science mission to collect data about the kerr black hole, she should be back in a few weeks.”

“And Jaal is too busy preparing the new recruits for the future angara Pathfinder’s team.” Vetra smiles to herself. “Apparently, he set a training program on Havarl for the younger soldiers and he’s giving them a pretty hard time… He sent me an email with copious details of the various tests he’s going to put them through. Some of his siblings are among the recruits, you know, and he really wants to be proud of them. He said something about making them perfectly fit for the Pathfinder’s team requirements.”

“I’m sure those poor boys and girls are about to regret ever wanting to join the Initiative...” Sara smiles back to Vetra. She always considered herself as a demanding leader, but when it comes to military training, she knows Jaal can be an even more challenging teacher.

“By the way, Ryder, when will the new Pathfinders be appointed?” Cora asks with curiosity. “We heard no official news about that.”

Sara shakes her head. “Candidates have until the end of the month to apply. Then we’ll gather with the other pathfinders, Tann and Addison, to make a choice. There's still time.” She sighs. Talking about that suddenly reminds her the reason why she had to come to Eos, and she gently dismisses her friends. “Ok, guys. I’ll see you tonight. I have Pathfinder business to attend to.”

They all nod and part in every direction, until Cora and she are alone.

The huntress looks at her. “So… Now it’s time for the real purpose of your trip, right?”

Looking at her watch, Sara can’t repress another sigh. “Yes. I’d better head to the research lab immediately, before Abrams comes looking for me. Did she say anything to you? Her email was really vague.”

Cora shrugs her shoulders. “I don’t know anything. It looks like that piece of technology is giving them a hard time. All I know is that they need you.”

“You mean they need SAM.”

“Well… technically, that’s the same.”

“I guess it is… But that’s not how I imagined my first holidays in Andromeda, to tell you the truth.”

Cora poorly smiles to her. “Take it as a science camp. You get to see your friends and make experiments on strange alien technology. You should be delighted, really.”

Sara laughs out loud. “Yeah… a science camp. Not one of my best childhood memories, but I’ll make do.” She turns away and heads toward the science lab on the other side of the lake. “I’ll see you later, Cora.”

“See you later, Pathfinder.”

With resigned steps, Sara crosses the footbridge to the research center.  

 

When she enters the building, she’s taken aback by the surprising quietness of the room. She expected to hear the typical humming of the machines and the buzzing of electronic systems, among the hurried footsteps of busy scientists heading for their microscopes. But instead, the silent lab is filled with dismantled pieces of equipment from the kett ship they found on H-089v, exposed on all the tables and shelves. On some of them, Sara immediately identifies the brown, dried mud from the disgusting swamps that covered the planet. She unconsciously winces when she remembers the horrible stench. She can almost smell it.

Fortunately, the stink has long gone by now. Looking around her, she needs a moment to realize that she’s not alone in the room.

 “Dr. Abrams, it’s nice to see you again.” Sara greets the woman staring at a datapad with absorbed attention, who jumps in surprise when Ryder’s voice abruptly disturbs the tranquil silence. But she relaxes immediately, faintly smiling.

“Pathfinder, thank you for coming. And please, call me Hainly.”

“Only if you call me Ryder.”

“We have a deal, Ryder.”

Sara nods thankfully and quickly moves on to the reason of her visit. “So, tell me. I see you’re working on what we brought back from H-089v. What have you found so far?”

“Most of it is ordinary kett technology. We found interesting information in the data you collected from the wrecked ship, though. Mostly about the mission they were sent to accomplish before they crashed. Kett were already studying terraforming prospects 20 years ago, that I can assure you. I’ll send you the report ASAP. But this piece, on the other hand, remains a mystery.”

Hainly motions Sara to follow her to the center of the room, where the equipment lays on a lab table. From the outside, it looks like a big grenade, only there’s no visible trigger. It’s otherwise perfectly oval, without writings or marks of any sort. The dark green metal shines with a dangerous glow due to the bright light coming from under the table, and for a while Sara can’t help but stare at it, fascinated by its golden gleams.

Hainly’s voice soon interrupts her mesmerized reflections. “Could you please ask SAM to scan it once again?”

“I scanned it already, twice,” Sara answers with impatience. “First when we found it. It was covered with mud and we almost discarded it, because we thought it was a piece of fuselage. Then, I scanned it again on Meridian. SAM gathered all the data that were sent to you. What more could we do?”

“I know, I’ve read the report from your scientific officer. But I’ve been studying this for over a week now, and I have absolutely nothing. Our scans confirmed what Meridian labs had foreseen: this has nothing to do with terraforming. This tech has no electromagnetic field. It emits no radiation and it doesn’t transmit any electronic signal. At first, I thought it was a part of the fuselage, as you implied. Yet, its density indicates a remarkable attention in its conception. We still have many things to learn about the properties of this kett metal alloy.”

Hainly sighs before continuing. “I’ve tried bend test, impact test, tensile testing… I’ve measured its corrosion resistance – which, by the way, is incredibly high – and I’ve compared the results with every chemical database I’ve ever heard of… At first, I was really excited to work on something new, but now I’m getting desperate. Please, Ryder, scan it again. Only SAM can help me.”

Sara finally complies. “Of course. SAM, are you ready?”

“Yes, Pathfinder. Ready to proceed whenever you want.”

She scans the device, while robotic arms handle the device with expert care under Hainly’s cautious supervision. When all parts have been carefully scanned from every possible angle, SAM relays the information to her omnitool, whose screen is soon filled with chemical structure, spectra and thermophysical data.

Hainly frowns as she quickly skims through it. “Mm… nothing new. Maybe direct magnetization could have some effects on it?” The scientist mumbles to herself before turning to Ryder. “Could SAM–”

Sara doesn’t let her time to finish her question. “You can ask him directly. He hears you.”

The scientist clears her throat. “Yes. Of course. Hello, SAM.”

“Hello, Dr. Abrams. Do you wish me to perform a magnetic particle inspection?”

“Yes, SAM. Please, I mean.”

Like most people, Hainly seems uncomfortable to address the AI. It seems so natural to Sara by now, that she always forgets that others are not used to it. She smiles to herself and sits on a chair while SAM proceeds with the experiment. They wait in silence for long minutes, until the screen of her omnitool lights up with new information.

“Mm… Interesting.” Once again, Hainly murmurs to herself, and Sara doesn’t even bother to ask what exactly is so interesting. The scientist quickly goes on, anyway. “SAM, do you think ultrasonic testing could provide additional data?”

Whatever triggered her attention, Hainly seems to have forgotten about her previous reserve toward the AI, and Sara lets them proceed with their investigation. She figures it’s better if she doesn’t interfere, and she’s willing to do anything that could accelerate the process.

She manages to stay put for about 15 minutes. But as the scientist asks SAM to carry on with yet another test, Sara can’t help but ask. “Couldn’t you just gather all the data while I’m here and analyze it later? Do I really need to stay here the whole time?”

“It’s standard procedure, Ryder.”

“Remind me: how many tests are required by this standard procedure, exactly?”

“Believe me, you don’t want to know.” Hainly looks genuinely sorry for her. “I’ll make it as fast as I can.”

 

After a couple of hours filled with successive tests and disappointing reports from SAM, Sara can’t take it anymore. She gets up from her chair and paces back and forth across the room. She sighs loudly when she sees that outside the night has begun to fall.

“We’re almost done, Pathfinder.” Hainly apologetically smiles to her. “One more test for today, and I’ll let you go.”

“Yeah, right. One more.” It’s Sara’s turn to mumble for herself.

Hainly ignores her and proceeds with the experiment. “SAM, please. Initiate phase 3 of complemental testing. Launch the analysis.”

“Proceeding now, Dr. Abrams. Analysis in progress.”

They wait for another long minute before SAM’s mechanical voice speaks again. “End of analysis. I’m afraid last test’s results are negative as well. Even gamma rays cannot affect the material.”

“Damn!” Sara curses out loud. She can’t hold her frustration any longer. “All that for nothing! As far as we know, this might just be a football. Or a grenade. A fucking kett grenade. We might as well take it and toss it by the window. Best way to figure it out.”

Without thinking, she grabs the equipment on the lab table.

“No! Stop!” Hainly tries to stop her, but too late.

Sara looks at her, surprised. “What’s the ma–”

Her question is left unspoken as lights are suddenly flashing from the monitors. All the monitors. Green, blue, red lights are soon joined by panicking beeps incoming from every machine in the room.

“Wow, shit!” Sara’s completely stunned. “What do I do? Do I put it down? Shit!” She doesn’t know what to do and tries to maintain the tech as far away from her body as she can. She suddenly regrets that she doesn’t have longer arms.

Hainly’s repeatedly tapping on the datapad she holds in her hand. “No, don’t put it down! I don’t know what you activated, but it’s working! I receive all kinds of data, and I have access to locked logs now… That’s fascinating.”

“What?”

The scientist doesn’t answer, and Sara insists. “Tell me, what’s going on? Is it dangerous?”

“Mm…”

Her anxiety increases. She hates it when people are so absorbed in their work that they don’t take the time to answer her, particularly in situations like this. Every scientist she has ever met seems to love doing that, and apparently Hainly is no exception. Sara comes closer and shakes the equipment next to the scientist’s face.

Hainly finally raises her head and looks at Ryder with stupefied eyes. “This is amazing!” She notices the tension on Sara’s face, at last, and continues almost remorsefully. “You can put it down, by the way. Now that it’s activated, I don’t think it will turn off. And no, it’s not dangerous. It doesn’t emit anything, it’s only a receptor. No risk of communicating our position to the kett.”

“Good.” Sara relaxes as soon as her hand is freed from the disturbing technology.

“That wasn’t really smart, Ryder. Alien technology should never be handled without gloves on. That’s standard procedure, I’m sure you’ve read that in the manuals.”

“I probably have.” Sara discards the comment. “But can you explain to me what just happened?”

“You activated something inside, that’s all I can say for sure. Had you touched it before?”

She shakes her head. “I scanned it, but I didn’t touch it. I think Liam is the one who found it and picked it up. I should probably ask him, but I don’t think he was wearing gloves when he took it.”

“So… that means this technology only reacts to you…”

Sara incredulously looks at the device. “You mean that is remnant tech? How is it possible?”

Hainsly’s smile wildly broadens with excitation. “What you’re looking at is just the shell. A kett factored shell, yes. A carrying bag, if you prefer. But inside, there must be remnant technology. Without any doubt. And if we consider the possibility that the kett you’ve encountered on H-089v cared enough to protect it and bring this technology with them, that could also mean…”

She doesn’t end her sentence. Sara is incredulously looking at her.

“You mean… it could be…” She daren’t say it out loud.

Hainly almost whispers. “Yes, Ryder. It means that we could be looking at an original Jardaan device, kept intact and protected by the kett for god knows how long.”

They look at each other, speechless. The implications of this discovery are so huge, that they don't know what to say.

 

 _This science camp has just gotten a whole lot better_ , Sara thinks to herself.

She’s starting to like it, after all.


	4. When she's gone

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The one where shit happens

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m sorry but I have to scream this time… LOOK AT THE BEAUTIFUL PIC [ @seokanori](https://seokanori.tumblr.com/) DID FOR ME!!!!!! I'm... in love... *sighs*

 

Reyes hastily gets out of Nakamoto’s clinic, clearly preoccupied and irritated. He has on his face the typical, dark circles of a sleepless night and the fresh wrinkles of a man suddenly assailed by a heavy burden.

He’s still wearing the same clothes he had when he said goodbye to Sara on the docks, yesterday morning. He spent the day before going through all kinds of reports with Keema and the night at Tartarus, arguing with Kian over the casino blueprints. And he went straight to Draullir early this morning before heading for Ditaeon, without even stopping by the flat first. No wonder he’s exhausted.

A heavy frown creases his forehead. For the last two days, he’s been caught in an endless succession of bad news and minor complications. Missing supplies, communication issues, mistaken information and incredibly expensive bills… and now, this. He wonders when this is going to end.

His bad mood increases when his shoulder collides with a passer-by, who looks at him with stupefied eyes before timidly greeting him with a hesitant shake of the head. Reyes absently gazes in the stranger’s direction and nods back. He’s definitely not in the mood for small talk, even less for questioning.

 

He wishes Sara was there. Everything would be simpler if she was there. He wouldn’t be alone in the middle of the outpost, ridiculously trying to hide even when he has a million troubles on his mind. He wonders briefly where she is, what she’s doing. Does she miss him? Does she feel as annoyed as he is right now?

He looks at the time on his omnitool. Given the time difference with Eos, it’s only the middle of the afternoon for her. She most likely landed only a couple of hours ago, and he hesitates whether he should call her. Ultimately, he decides that it wouldn’t be a good idea. She’s probably busy, anyway. Otherwise she would have called him.

 

Keeping his head down, he hurries toward his shuttle. His gaze lands on the blood stains covering his hands and wrists. He could almost curse out loud, if it wasn’t the best way to attract more attention on him. He’s too distracted. He clenches his fists in a vain attempt to control himself and thrusts his hands into his pockets. He crosses the outpost as fast as he can, silently praying that no one else will recognize him.

 _Damn this day. And damn doctors,_ he thinks to himself.

He deeply inhales. He needs to focus.

Lowering his shoulders, he gets lost in the crowd of Initiative employees. He now walks unnoticed, nothing but a discreet, silent shadow making his way through hurried people, and finally reaches the landing site without further incident.

A few minutes later, he’s relieved to hear the comforting roar of the engine, indicating that the shuttle’s ready to take off. He immediately requests prior authorization to leave, using the same false ID he gave when he arrived two hours ago – an old habit he can’t get rid of. One can never be too careful, and he cannot afford to raise questions he’s not ready to answer.

He avoids looking at the slow progress of the roadwork site as he flies over. Construction phase has not even begun yet that workers are already behind schedule, it was duly mentioned in Kassim’s troublesome report. A problem with concrete supplies that were ordered but never arrived. He knows he’d better take care of that himself if he wants to maintain the slightest hope of finishing this damn road in time.

 _Who would have thought that trading construction material would be far more complicated than selling drugs or illegal guns?_ He sarcastically murmurs to himself as he jets off in direction of the mountains. The drug business is doing just fine, it’s even expanding. This is not something he bragged about when he showed the city’s improvements to Sara but, strictly speaking, it’s been his main source of income recently. It’s the rest that is more problematic.

This supplies issue is really just a minor problem, one that can be taken care of with a simple call. But problems seem to multiply recently, and he’s not happy. He has better things to do than wasting his time with smaller matters.

He shakes his head with annoyance. Despite all the efforts that have been made to improve life on Kadara, some of the most basic needs of the population are still not fulfilled. Even the outpost’s clinic doesn’t have the proper means to treat all patients, not to mention the proper equipment for simple blood tests or radiographies…

He knows that this is part of the job – the numerous complains, the endless demands and countless negotiations, the whole mess. Shit happens, and he’s the one who has to put order to it. But shit seems to have piled up really fast while he was taking some time off. More than usual.

Plus, the recent attitude of the Initiative leaders has been a serious setback for his carefully planned projects. Another irritating impediment, and another very good reason to be angry. Treating with them will probably cost too much time, and definitely too much money. But that’s just business, after all. It could be worse.

He steers his shuttle toward the port with a resigned sigh and sets the commands on automatic pilot. He still has a lot to do, plenty of reports to go through and calls to make, and he intends to put to good use the 32 minutes that his trip back home will take.

And after that, he plans to simply collapse on his bed with a drink, or even the whole bottle. But only after taking a shower. He desperately needs a shower.

 

Night has completely fallen when Reyes closes at last the door of the apartment behind him.

He exhales loudly in relief and leans his back on the door for a while. Looking into the darkness in front of him, he can’t help but feel the emptiness of the place. Unconsciously, his thoughts come back to Sara.

He blamed her for leaving so soon, and he remembers the guilt in her eyes when she left, just before jumping inside the shuttle. She felt as if she owned him an apology – but the truth is, he’s just the same. He understands exactly why she has that need to always be on the move. The same guilt is eating up his heart right now.

He’s painfully aware of the irony of his situation. He’s conflicted, too, but maybe not for the same reasons. He cannot deny that a part of him misses the thrill of danger and the anxious, obsessed wait during the silent hours of the night. Nothing is as satisfactory as a close deal and money changing hands. Well, almost nothing is. Deep down, he knows that some things will never change. They simply can’t.

And yet, another part of him whispers very loudly that everything is different, now. He’s not alone anymore. He changed.

But he wonders for how long.

He shakes his head to chase away this disturbing thought and finally gets into motion. But he doesn’t dare to turn the lights on. He doesn’t want to meet his lonely reflection in the bay windows and prefers to head for the bathroom in the dark.

He stops when he sees what’s waiting for him in the bedroom. Before leaving, Sara made sure to lock all the containers, as she had threatened to do. All but one, ostensibly open on the bed, urging him to look inside. He instantly forgets about his troubles when he pulls out the wrapped bottle. There’s a note attached on it, and Sara’s delicate handwriting warms his heart.

_To keep you in good company while I’m gone…_

The first genuine smile to crack his lips for the last couple of days feels like a deliverance, a magic cure to his current misery, and the tension on his shoulders miraculously disappears.

Unwrapping the gift with impatient hands, he appreciates the fine label as he heads back to the kitchen to pour himself a large amount of whisky. That’s exactly what he needed – just one glass. Then a shower, and then sleep.

 

Hours later, he turns once more in his bed and looks at the time on the alarm clock.

3 am.

He sighs. He can’t remember the last time sleep deserted him like that. All he knows is that he has too many things on his mind, right now. He abruptly pushes the sheets away from his naked body. He can’t sleep, anyway. He might as well have another drink.

He runs sleepy fingers in his hair as he gets up and crosses the corridor to the living room. The flat is still plunged into darkness and everything’s silent around him, of one of those overwhelming silences that sounds familiar yet echoes too loudly to be completely natural.

He pauses on his way to listen to it. There’s something lurking behind the stillness of the apartment. Some quiet threat that he cannot identify precisely, a vibrating pulse that reverberates his troubled heartbeat.

He shakes his head, and the feeling vanishes as fast as it came. But as he walks to the kitchen where he left the bottle earlier, he can’t help but think that even the sound of his hushed footsteps on the carpet seems to melt under the heavy, thick silence ringing in his ears.

Something is missing.

He shivers when his feet touch the cold, tiled kitchen floor. He pours whisky in a glass and momentarily hesitates to add some ice to it, like Sara would. But he decides against it and, suddenly, he understands.

He realizes that someone is missing, not something.

He sits on the couch, reluctant to go back to the empty bed. Slowly sipping his drink, he stares for a moment at the stunning view in front of him, a view he enjoyed so many times over the last week while holding Sara in his arms. It’s not the same without her. Thousand lights are reflecting on the night sky over the city, but none of them brings him any warmth. Not like she would.

A cold breeze is entering through an open window, and he shudders when the wind smashes against his bare chest with unexpected violence. Never, since he woke up from stasis on the Nexus, so long ago, never has he felt so cold.

Once again, the threatening urge pulses inside his heart. _Something is going to happen._ Is it a cry carried by the breeze? There’s an odd weight on his chest, which makes him cough heavily. He wonders where that anxiety is coming from.

But he instantly forgets about it when the silence is disrupted by the ringing of his omnitool. He knows, even before looking at it, that Sara’s calling. He just knows.

He raises his arm, his loving smile illuminated by the orange light of the screen.

 

He can’t resist the temptation to greet her with one of his favorite lines.

“I was just thinking of you.”

She snorts before answering. “You always say that, Reyes.”

“Maybe because I’m always thinking of you?”

“Of course.” He can literally hear her rolling her eyes. But he knows that she’s really pleased with his comment, even if she discards it immediately. “Did I wake you?”

“No.” He shakes his head. “I can’t sleep.”

“You sound tired.” There’s a sudden worry in her voice.

“I... had a shitty day.”

“Want to talk about it?”

He hesitates to tell her what’s really on his mind. Only for a second, but that’s enough, and she hears it loud and clear.

“Sorry. Forget I asked.” She immediately goes on, and in the end he feels relieved that she doesn’t press for more and changes the subject. “Did you find what I left for you?”

“I did, and I’m enjoying it right now. Thanks, by the way.” He raises his glass to his reflection in the window in front of him, briefly admiring the golden gleams of the amber liquid. “This is some fine booze.”

“I’m glad you like it. Even if I’m surprised it’s not empty yet.” She pauses. “And it was supposed to help you sleep.”

“Well, you miserably failed.” He swallows the rest of his drink in a single sip and leaves it on the coffee table. “I had two glasses, but I still can’t sleep.”

She chuckles softly. “Have you tried to go to bed and turn off the lights, at least?”

“I can turn off the lights, but I can’t turn off the thousand stars I see whenever I think of you.”

She laughs out loud, this time. “Damn, Reyes, you sound even cheesier on the phone.”

“Is that a reproach?”

“Mm... No, not really. It’s good to hear your voice. I miss you… and I guess I was thinking of you, too.”

He smiles to himself. He lets the words linger in the room, tasting their sweetness the same way he’d savor her lips if she was there with him, and not half a galaxy away.

“Something in particular?” he asks with a teasing tone as he leans back on the couch.

She grunts playfully. “Nothing that I’d say out loud, if that’s what’s on your mind.”

It is indeed, and he laughs quietly. “Where are you?” he asks after a brief silence.

“I’m just taking a break. I meant to call you earlier, but I didn’t realize it was so late until now. I was supposed to join the team for the celebration about an hour ago… but I’m stuck working in the lab.” She sighs. “I had a long day, too.”

“Is everything alright?”

“Yes.” She hesitates before going on. “We made a breakthrough this afternoon, and things are finally getting interesting here.”

He frowns when he hears the hidden truth behind her statement. “That means you’re not coming back tomorrow.” He’s not really asking – once again, he knows.

“I’m sorry. I really am.” She sighs once more. “I have to stay at least another day on Eos. We’re waiting for the engineering team and… well, I can’t leave. I’ll keep you posted as soon as possible, alright?”

“If you don’t, I’ll have to come myself and abduct you. I’m warning you.” He growls that last part, using the threat to cover the disappointment filling his voice and making her laugh.

“I know this is no idle threat, coming from you. I’ll keep that in mind.”

“You’d better. It wouldn’t be the first time I kidnap you.” He suddenly drops the playful tone. “But seriously, I can come and pick you up whenever you want. My offer still stands.”

“You don’t have to. I’ll be fine.”

“Sara… just come back home, ok?” He pauses. “Nights are too cold without you. Even on Kadara.”

“You know that a part of me wanted to stay with you, right? I will always come back.” She tenderly answers after a short break.

“That’s not enough. I need to hear that you’ll be here soon.”

She doesn’t answer, and he stubbornly insists. “Very soon?”

“Reyes…” There’s laughter in her voice, despite her scolding tone. “Okay. Very soon. I promise.”

“I... I should have come with you.” He takes a deep breath. “I have a bad feeling. It’s silly, but I’d feel better if you were here.”

He hears her frowning. “What’s wrong? Now you sound gloomy.”

He shakes his head, even if she cannot see it, and she goes on. “There’s no reason to worry. Holidays are far from over, and I always keep my promises.” Then she adds in a whisper, “But I’m sorry I had to leave.”

“Don’t be. I know you had to. I just miss you.”

“I know. Me too.”

For a while, only a comforting silence can be heard on the line. She breaks it too soon to his taste.

“I’ll call you tomorrow. Good night, Reyes.”

“Good night, my love. Be safe. I’ll see you soon.”

 

He hangs up. The conversation has brought a comfortable warmth in his chest and a large beam of happiness upon his face. Sara’s voice carries a solar bliss that pushes the shadows away so easily, and now he can’t remember why he felt so anxious a moment ago.

He goes back to the bedroom, and flirts for a moment with the idea of surprising her and joining her on Eos, unannounced. He imagines all too well the smile she would give him when she’d spot him, and his heart pumps a little faster when he closes his eyes to mentally picture the image.

Without even realizing it, he’s now carefully trying to figure out how he could make a reality out of this. Of course, time is not ideal to take another extended break. He neglected too many things over the last week, just to be able to be with her. But now that the idea has popped into his head, he cannot stop thinking about it. The occasion is too perfect to be missed.

He knows he can rely on his lieutenant to keep business going on as usual. And that which Kassim can’t handle, the Charlatan can take care of by relaying it to Keema. That’s how they work, anyway. He also knows that Keema will probably have his head should he leave Kadara once again, but he doesn’t really care. It’s just too tempting to fly to Eos and let them deal with all this shit for a moment…

But then there’s also the problem of his credentials. He’s allowed on the Nexus, thanks to Sara, and more than welcome on Aya and Voeld, thanks to the Resistance. But to enter the outpost on Eos without an official reason would probably be difficult. He wonders which of his contact could provide the perfect excuse to visit Prodromos. Maybe he could use his connections to one of the science officers and pretext a trading agreement of science materials to get access…

 

His reflection is soon disrupted by the flashing light of his omnitool, announcing an incoming email. His first thought is for Sara, and a broad smile immediately curls his lips.

But the message is not from Sara. In fact, it was sent to one of his old email addresses, one he hasn’t used in a very long time.

He frowns.

He reads the message. He doesn’t understand, at first. Is it encrypted? His mind can’t proceed with the information just yet.

He reads the email a second time and suddenly gets up, as electrified. His smile has now completely disappeared, and a thick line of tension reappeared on his forehead. Unable to think clearly, he frantically presses the dial option on his omnitool.

The long, slow ringing on the other end is killing him.

But no answer.

He curses out loud while putting his clothes on in a hurry and nervously runs outside the flat. He briefly holds the reassuring weight of his weapon in his hand. He crosses the street with haste, his shadow rushing behind him toward the city hall.

He calls one more time. Again, only silence answers him.

He tries not to panic. There’s no reason to panic, nor to listen to the fear screaming through every fiber of his being. He silently admonishes his fingers to stop shaking.

 

Something was bound to happen. He knew it.

_Damn this day._

\--------------------

 

Sara hangs up, unable to repress the soft smile that Reyes’ last words have brought on her lips. She deeply inhales as she lifts her head to the sky, enjoying this little moment to herself, and closes her eyes for a moment.

She violently shivers in the unexpected cold breeze, struck by the abrupt, overwhelming silence. All inhabitants have gone back to their homes for the night – if the small, square private cabin that has been allocated to each colonist in the prefab buildings can be called a home – and the outpost seems deserted.

The welcoming shadow of the Tempest lies only a few feet away, darker than the inky night sky that veils the whole settlement with sharp, biting claws. But even the dim music coming from the celebration going on without her inside the ship cannot break the stillness of the night.

She wishes she could join her friends immediately and celebrate with them. To be completely honest, she wishes she could tell Kallo to set course for Kadara.

But she can’t. She has a job to do.

Sighing deeply, she heads toward the science lab.

 

She stops on top of the stairs, frowning.

The wind carries a surprisingly fresh air and rushes into the building through the open doors. There’s an urge, a muffled cry, that is also carried within the breeze and that brings goosebumps on the bare skin of her arms and an unusual coldness deep inside her heart.

She unconsciously holds her arms around her before entering the room. Quickly looking around for Hainly, she catches in a glimpse scattered glass on the floor, beside the lab table in the center of the room. It takes her half a second to realize that the glass comes from the table. The broken, empty table.

Loud, warning bells are now ringing in her head. Something is not right.

She realizes at a glance that on the other side of the room, a window is wide open. And there’s no sign of the scientist.

Sara instinctively reaches for her gun, pulled by an impulsive need. She curses herself when she realizes she’s unarmed.

_Shit._

 

Suddenly, all lights are turned off. The room is almost plunged into darkness, except for one dim light coming from the center of the room, and for a moment she cannot see a thing. She holds her breath and concentrates on her hearing as she swiftly moves along the wall, trying to remain as silent as possible. She hears a low hiss somewhere on her right, and she heads in that direction, a pulsing threat urging her to caution and preserving her biotics from setting off too soon. That would make her an easy target.

She silently prays for SAM to come to her help. _SAM, what’s going on?_

“On your right. East corner.” SAM’s obliging voice echoes immediately in her head. “I detect two sorts of vital signs, but I cannot identify them.”

Sara swears to herself.

She’s about to reach the middle of the room when she hears in her back a discreet scratch, followed by the characteristic bang of an empty bullet bouncing on the ground. In a horrified moment of understanding, she realizes that this is the sound of a pump-action shotgun being reloaded.

Swiftly turning around to face the new threat, she slips in a pool of dark liquid, thick and sticky under her shoes. She manages to catch hold of a nearby table in order not to fall, but her feet hit something soft. Soft, and heavy.

She has no time to figure out what it is, exactly.

Her whole world is drowned in a deafening, submerging thunder of fire and pain. The roaring deflagration seems to tear the room in half. In a blinding flash, she catches a glimpse at the two silhouettes now standing in front of her.

 _How did they come so close?_ Her mind works too slowly. _What the fuck is going on?_

She feels her legs suddenly giving up under her body, and she falls on the slippery ground, slowly, in a suspended dream. Her hands incredulously reach to her stomach. It’s warm, and wet.

It hurts. It fucking hurts.

She cannot move, in shock. Her back and legs are paralyzed by a thousand cold needles and the excruciating pain she feels at each breath she manages to take is threatening to swallow her whole. From what seems very far away, she hears two low, croaky voices.

Male voices. Not human.

She presses her hands on her belly as one shadow bends over her. Her eyes are desperately trying to pierce the darkness in spite of the soundless tears that are blurring her vision. She wants to speak, but only manages to produce strangled gurgles.

After what seems an eternity, the shadow finally turns away from her, and she hears the sound of heavy, dragging footsteps going away.

 

She lies on her side, alone, panting, her head buzzing with confusion as she faces the horror.

In front of her, resting in the pale light coming from the datapad she still holds in her hand, Hainly’s fixing on her one incredulous eye that doesn’t blink. Her other eyeball has rolled a bit further under the table, remarkably intact despite the violence of the short-range shot that smashed the right side of the scientist’s skull and projected grey matter and scattered bones all over the bloody floor.

 

Sara closes her eyes and starts counting to prevent the incoming wave of panic rolling in her chest.


	5. Hurt

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The one in the dark

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, a huge thank you to [ @seokanori](https://seokanori.tumblr.com/) for the wonderful cover! 
> 
> I know some of you were waiting for some angst... well, here it comes.

 

The wave is devastating. It annihilates every coherent thought and violently smashes through her chest.

The smell is overwhelming. It’s the smell of panic, of blood and agony.

It feels like dying all over again.

 

_You are not dying._

Her sealed eyelids mirror a thousand aching stars as she struggles to breathe. Something sticky is blocking her trachea, a ball of fear going up and down her throat.

_Breathe! You need to breathe!_

She wriggles on the floor, blood impregnating her clothes and slowly spreading their darkness beneath her wounded body.

_Pathfinder, you need to breathe!_

 

She confusedly understands that SAM is talking to her. His comforting voice reaches to her through the pain.

_Let me ease your heartbeat. You are panicking and losing too much blood, but I can fix it. Let me fix it, Ryder._

 

Eyes still desperately shut, she listens to him. She focuses on her breathing. Gradually, bit by bit, she manages to unclench her stretched lips and lets some air enter through her mouth. The thick acidity saturating the surroundings is sickening. Blood is everywhere – her own blood and Hainly’s blood, on her clothes, in her hair. Covering her face, entering her mouth.

She rolls on her back to try to escape it, and the excruciating wave of pain that comes next washes out the bloody taste on her tongue. Her empty lungs brutally shrink in a silent scream as her hands fall from her arched body to the ground, motionless.

Friendly darkness threatens to swallow her whole. It goddamn hurts so much. And she feels so dizzy…

 

_WAKE UP!_

 

She suddenly opens her eyes. Something is vibrating. Her teeth are chattering. Her arm is too heavy, she cannot lift it. And she’s so cold. Why is she so cold?

_Breathe, Pathfinder. You can do it. You should feel better, now._

SAM. For a moment, she wonders what he’s talking about. Then, she remembers. She was shot.

Her mouth opens once again. She fights the tremor, she fights it with all her strength. Her fingers convulse on the ground as she struggles during endless seconds. At last, her throat seems to surrender. She avidly inhales, air rushing into her lungs.

_Good, Ryder. Now, start counting._

 

1, 2, 3.

_That’s it. Keep going._

4, 5, 6.

_Your team is coming._

7, 8, 9… 10.

_This is not the end._

 

They are coming. She wants to hold on to that thought, but the pain is just too loud.

She finally capitulates, welcomed by the delicious oblivion of unconsciousness.

 

 

When she wakes up, she instinctively reaches for her stomach. The brusque movement arouses a sudden and painful spasm in her whole body, and she grunts as she leans back to release the aching pressure on her abdomen.

Every move brings tears to her eyes. She cocks her head to look around, blinded by the bright light coming from above. She needs to blink a few times before acknowledging where she is.

Tempest. Med bay. She’s lying on a bed, connected to an IV drip.

 

_Welcome back, Ryder. You scared us._

“SAM…” Her voice is croaky, her throat hoarse.

_Don’t move, Pathfinder. Dr. T’Perro will be here in a minute._

“… hurts…” She barely manages to speak.

_Don’t talk either. You need medication. Lexi is on her way._

More tears fill her eyes as she remembers in a flash what happened. The lab and the broken glass, the darkness and the slippery floor. The gunshot. The confusion. Hainly – oh my god, Hainly…

And SAM. SAM’s comforting voice, guiding her like a beacon in the night.

The rest of her memories is still blurred, except for the pain. It’s not the first time she was shot, but each time feels worse. And she panicked. Why did she panic like that?

“SAM… thanks.” She utters the words in a whisper.

_Don’t thank me, Pathfinder. I am relieved to see you are awake and well. I deeply regret that I could not prevent you from getting shot. I should have protected you better._

The bitterness of her AI as he goes on is rather unexpected.

_I am sorry, Ryder. I switched to private mode while you were talking to Mr. Vidal on the phone, even if you didn’t ask me to. Had I not done that, I could have let you know sooner what was happening in the lab. Therefore, it is all my fault._

“No, SAM. No.” Sara frowns, stunned by the perceptible culpability in SAM’s voice. She has never heard him use that tone, with anyone.

 

But she has no time to ask why he feels so guilty. The door of the med bay opens, and Lexi’s worried figure appears behind it. She hurries in, obvious concern and exhaustion on her face.

“Ryder, you are awake.” Her hand moves to Sara’s forehead to check her temperature. “No fever. Good.” Her movements are professional, but her hand lingers with surprising softness against her temple. Lexi then looks into her eyes with a medical flashlight. The motherly concern in her eyes increases when Sara briskly turns away from the irrupting light.

“Mm… extreme retina sensitivity to the light. I assume it’s normal, after the shock…” She turns off the flashlight, and Sara’s discomfort is immediately alleviated. “How do you feel?”

“Great.” She tries to clear her throat but it’s still hoarse, too hoarse to talk. She points at it with a trembling finger. Lexi immediately hands her an ice cube to ease her discomfort, and Sara thankfully smiles before sucking on it for a moment.

“How long was I unconscious?” Her voice is still croaky and feeble, but at least she can speak softly without suffering too much.

“You came out of surgery 12 hours ago.” Lexi’s careful fingers are now checking her pulse, even if Sara’s heartbeat is being monitored on one of the screens. “You were lucky, Ryder. If SAM hadn’t informed us immediately…” She sighs. “Well, you were lucky.”

Lexi seems satisfied by her quick check-up and bends over the bed to inject something in the IV drip with a syringe. Whatever it was, its effects are immediate, and Sara could almost cry out of relief as the pain begins to wear off. She does her best to relax in her bed for a moment, while Lexi silently takes her vitals one more time and adds the data to her file. But thoughts are spinning in her mind. A thousand questions are dancing and tangling inside her head. No matter how hard she tries, she’s simply unable to organize her memories. Every time she wants to concentrate, she’s brought back with unexpected violence to the cold, cold floor, with nothing to look at but that desperate and accusatory eye fixed on her.

Her fingernails dig deep in the soft mattress, under the sheets. It’s so infuriating. She feels helpless.

Lexi immediately notices her distress. “What’s wrong? Do you need more meds?”

“No. I’m fine.” Her resolve strengthens. “I need to get out of here, Lexi. I need to get on with the investigation, talk to Tann, and–”

Lexi interrupts her immediately. “Don’t even think about it. I’ve put you on bed rest for the rest of the week. Then, and only then, I’ll consider letting you leave the med bay, depending on your physical condition. And I mean a full bed rest,” she adds, insisting on the last words with a threatening finger pointed at Sara.

“What? The whole week?” Sara winces when she straightens and sits up in her bed. She shakes vehemently her head, regardless of her dizziness and the splitting headache she feels growing. “No way!”

“You just got out of surgery. You might feel fine right now, but that’s because you’re completely high on painkillers. And the knock-on effects could be worse than the pain itself. Moreover, you’re still at risk of developing complications, such as septicemia or even worse. You must stay under observation.”

Her tone clearly indicates that she won’t tolerate any protest. She checks the drip medication with caution and installs a pillow behind Sara’s back, before motioning her to lean back. Her eyes are grave when she looks at her again.

“Ryder… you are recovering from a serious trauma.” Her hand remains on Sara’s shoulder as she speaks, light as a feather. “You were shot at close range. The bullet entered your stomach and went right through your digestive and reproductive systems. It inflicted internal damage to several organs, causing a massive bleeding. And then it went out your back, missing your spinal cord by less than an inch. If it weren’t for SAM…” Lexi’s voice weakens.

Sara pretends she doesn’t hear the concern in the doctor’s voice and puts on her bravest face. It helps her to set aside the pain. “… I would have bled on the floor and died. I get it. You said you had to perform surgery? Is that why I still feel a bit dizzy?”

Lexi nods. “Yes, that’s probably a residue from the anesthesia. I need to follow up on that, too. Tell me if it’s getting worse. We performed an emergency surgery to ensure the bullet didn’t hit any secondary artery, you were bleeding a lot. We managed to stop the bleeding, though. We had to cut a piece of your liver, but you should be fine. That… shouldn’t be a problem.”

“Good.” Sara’s relieved, in a way. She was expecting worse. “That’s great news, considering what happened. I don’t need to be here, then. Please, let me go to my quarters, Lexi. I promise I’ll stay put…”

“No. You must keep that IV on until tomorrow morning, at the very least. I need to monitor your vitals. As I said earlier, you lost a large amount of blood…”

Something in her attitude is off, as if she was reluctant to say more.

“Yes, you said so, and I heard you.” Sara’s getting edgy. “Should I be worried? Any permanent damage?”

“No, but… there was another problem.” Her hand stiffens on Sara’s shoulder. “There is… something else you should know.”

Sara frowns. “Damn, Lexi, you’re starting to frighten me. Tell me.”

The look in her friend’s eyes has never been so genuinely sorry.

“There’s no right way to say this, so I’m just going to say it.” Lexi takes a deep breath. “Ryder… you were pregnant. I’m sorry. There was nothing we could do.”

Sara quivers. She blankly looks at Lexi for a moment, completely staggered.

“It’s… not possible.” That’s the only thing she’s able to come up with. She needs time to process the info. She just can’t believe it.

But Lexi’s faint smile quickly confirms that she’s telling the truth.

Sara stubbornly insists. “No… no, it shouldn’t have happened. No. It’s impossible.” She realizes she’s mumbling to herself, but she cannot help it.

Lexi’s embarrassed. “Well… I assume you know where babies come from?”

Sara furrows her brows at the weak attempt of humor and doesn’t respond. She’s still in shock.

Lexi goes on with a gentler voice. “I mean, even with birth control and contraceptive therapy, chemical blockers are not 100% efficient on everybody. These things happen… I’m sorry. I assume this wasn’t planned.”

“… Not really.”

“Do you want to talk about it? Or do you want me to call… him?” Oddly, Lexi seems reluctant to say his name.

“No. Thanks.” Sara sighs, pensive. “Just… please, leave me alone, Lexi? I want to be alone.”

“Sure. You know where to find me. I’ll come back later to check up on you.” Lexi heads for the door and stops before leaving. “I’m really sorry, Ryder.”

With one last and long glance at Sara, she finally leaves the room.

 

Less than 10 minutes later, Sara painfully sneaks out of bed, with very slow moves and despite the ache lurking behind her every movement.

Internally, she’s screaming. More tears are pricking her eyelids, and she barely contains them as she disconnects the IV from her right hand. But she won’t cry. She refuses to cry. She refuses to go down that road, not now.

It’s not like she has lost something. This reaction is just stupid.

The mere effort to sit on the edge of the bed leaves her wheezing and panting. Taking off her hospital gown, she looks at the dressing that goes around her belly. She winces while pressing briefly on her stomach. Carefully, her curious fingers follow the shape of her wounds under the thick bandage, feeling the prominent stitches on her belly and back. Each movement of her arms strikes new bursts of pain inside her, but she’s unable to stop.

She prefers enduring this to staying in bed, with nothing else to do than listen to troubled thoughts spinning in her mind. She’d rather take another bullet than lie in bed one more minute. At least, hurting makes her feel alive. Thinking, on the contrary, makes her feel powerless. She doesn’t like that.

And she wishes she would stop shaking.

 

After a long struggle, she manages to put on her shirt and pants. Still breathless, she gathers her strength to get up on her feet when the door of the med bay opens once again.

Sara looks at her visitor with surprise. “Scott? What are you doing here?”

He frowns when he sees that she’s up.

“Sara… You’re supposed to be on bed rest. Lexi made that very clear, she repeated it at least three times before I could get rid of her and come to see you.”

He comes closer to help her, despite the scowl on his face. She refuses his offered hand and gets on her feet. But her legs are too weak, and she would have fallen to the ground without Scott’s swift reaction.

With a grunt, he grabs her arm and helps her sitting back on the bed. “Relax. Take your time.”

She nods wordlessly.

“I can call Lexi and ask for more painkillers if you want.”

“No!” She shakes her head, even if it makes her a bit dizzy. “I don’t need meds. I’m fine. Don’t call Lexi, please.” Sara suddenly looks at him, a growing concern on her face. “What did she tell you, exactly?”

“That you needed rest, but that you’ll be fine and on your feet in one week.”

“That’s all?”

“Yes. Why?” He’s startled by her question.

“No reason. Forget about it.” She quickly goes on. “You didn’t answer my question, though. What are you doing here?”

“What, my sister takes a gunshot in the guts and I shouldn’t come to see her? Don’t be silly. I requested a shuttle as soon as I heard about it.” He briefly hesitates before going on and drops the teasing tone. “I was thinking about coming here and join you and the crew, anyway. I don’t know anyone on the Nexus. I was bored.”

He seems uncomfortable, and Sara understands that something is bothering him. She takes his hand and motions him to sit on the bed next to her. “Tell me. What’s wrong?”

“Nothing.”

But she can see right through him. “Tell me. What’s on your mind?”

“Nothing. Now is not the time to talk about it, you’ve been wounded. I’m the one who should be asking how you are doing.”

“I’m fine.” She instantly discards his reluctance, her commanding tone leaving him no choice. “Tell me.”

He shrugs his shoulders before finally answering. “Do you know what day it is?”

“I told you I’m fine. I know what day it is. I remember my name, and yours, and I also know that you’re my little brother. Stop that.”

“No… it’s not what I meant. Today it’s… it’s been a year.” He gulps sharply. “Since daddy died.”

“Oh.” She’s taken aback and speechless for a second. “I didn’t realize it was today…”

She doesn’t say anything for a while. She’s trying to shut the internal scream resonating with force in her chest. How fucked up can this day be? Could it get even worse? She prays to herself that bad news would stop pilling up.

“I’m sorry, Scott. Do you want to talk about it?”

He looks at his feet. “I… I don’t know. Do you… do you ever think of him, at least?”

“Of course!” she answers with indignation. “Who do you think I am? You know I was with him when it happened. You know I’ll never forget myself.”

They’re both lost in their thoughts for an instant.

“He wasn’t a good dad.” Scott utters what they’re both thinking deep inside.

“No. He wasn’t.”

“But mom loved him. And he loved us, in his own way, I think…”

Sara can’t repress a loud sigh. “Yes, she did love him, and he loved her. But whether Alec loved us or not… I don’t know. Neither of us could ever meet his expectations. I used to think we were only an eternal disappointment to him.”

Scott forces a smile on his face. “I was a disappointment to him, that’s for sure.”

She holds his hand with force. She hates it when her brother takes all the blame on him, as he always does. But she doesn’t know what to say.

“From the day I came out to him, he never looked at me the same way…” Scott’s voice is breaking, flooded by emotion and resentment.

“He was a jerk. You can say it, now. He won’t hear you.” She presses her shoulder against her brother’s. That’s all she can do to make him feel better. She’s not even able to raise her arm to hold him properly. She’s doing her best to ignore it, but her heart is racing in her chest. She silently admonishes her fingers to stop shaking.

Scott’s forced smile disappears. He nods vigorously. “Yes. He was a jerk. But he was our dad. You never called him dad.”

Sara shrugs. “He never did anything to deserve that title.”

“You’re a bit harsh. You know… he never told you, but I think he admired your independence. Dad was not the kind to compliment us… and he would never have admitted it, but he liked that you were strong enough to make your own decisions and do what you thought was right. Ever since we were kids, you did what you wanted, not what he told you to do. I could never do that. I always followed him and tried to get his approval… and even then, I was nothing but a disappointment to him. Now I can see he always meant to make you Pathfinder after him. Not me. You.”

“You give me too much credit. The only reason why Alec made me Pathfinder, is because he couldn’t let his secrets die with him,” she almost whispers. “Because he needed me to do what he wasn’t able to do himself. That’s all.”

Her brother wordlessly closes his eyes.

Sara’s hurt to feel his distress, far more hurt than by the dull pain in her stomach. She squeezes his hand with caution. She wishes she could do more.

 

But the moment passes. Scott shakes his head as if waking up from a bad dream. He gets up, and Sara’s hand falls back on the bed, abandoned.

“Anyway… I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have brought that up.” He drops a soft kiss on her cheek and playfully winces. “By the way, your boyfriend should be here in a few hours, so you might want to take a shower… you smell bad, you know.” He teasingly wrinkles his nose before heading for the door, but she holds him back.

“Wait, he’s coming here? … Why?” She’s stunned.

“Damn, Sara…” Scott hisses with annoyance. “First you were surprised I came here for you, now you’re surprised that he wants to see you… what’s wrong with you? You’ve been shot, for fuck’s sake!”

She shrugs her shoulders. “It’s not the first time, probably not the last, either. You know I need no hand holding.”

“Yes, I know. That’s what I told him, but I couldn’t talk him out of it. He’s a stubborn man.”

Sara snorts at this last comment, but she cannot hide her shock when she realizes what her brother is actually saying. “You talked to him?”

“He called me.” Scott hesitates before continuing. “I was surprised, too. He couldn’t get in touch with you… and he seemed really worried.”

“I had promised him I would call. I guess he was anxious to know when I’d be back.”

“If you say so…” Scott is looking at his feet, refusing to meet her gaze, but Sara discards his comment.

If she had to be honest, she doesn’t want to talk about him. Hell, she’s not even sure she wants to see him. She has mixed feelings.

She hesitates whether she should call him, or send him an email and tell him not to come. But knowing him, there’s no way he would ever turn back.

She loudly exhales. “Well, I should get moving, then. I have plenty to do before he shows up. And taking a shower is not my top priority right now, to tell you the truth.”

“Sorry to hear that.” Her brother smiles jokingly. “I can’t emphasize enough how much you need it…”

“You’re an ass, Scotty. You know that? Now stop teasing and help me to the meeting room, instead.”

“But Lexi said–”

“I know what Lexi said. I don’t care. Help me, please?”

“Alright. But if Lexi asks, I was never here, ok?”

Sara lets a soft laugh out as he pulls her arm around his shoulders to help her. “Thanks. I take back what I just said. I knew I could count on you.”

 

Even with her brother’s help, Sara’s heart is pounding heavily in her ears when he leaves her alone in the meeting room. She sits on the nearest chair, almost overwhelmed by the soreness of her whole body.

Anxiety increases and rushes inside her throat, strangling her. The endless and vicious spiral of unanswered questions is going over and over in her head.

She pinches her nose. She needs to set her personal problems aside. To focus and forget about all this. She breathes in deeply to calm down and she braces herself. With a resigned sigh, she raises her omnitool.

“SAM? Could you please replay the recordings of last night?”

“I’m afraid those files have been encrypted and protected with the highest confidential level. I need a password to unlock it.”

“What?” It doesn’t make any sense. “What does it mean?”

“I’m sorry, Pathfinder. The files have been requisitioned by the Initiative’s leadership and transmitted to the Pathfinder appointed to the case.”

“What the fuck…” She can’t believe it. Damn Tann. “And who’s in charge?”

“Pathfinder Avitus Rix is in charge of the investigation. If you want access to the video, I suggest that you talk to him, Ryder.”

Sara bites her lower lip with rage, her fists clenched. She hates being left in the dark, and she won’t tolerate it.

Her pain needs a getaway – and she might have found one.

“SAM, connect me to director Tann. Immediately.”

 

When he picks up, he’s obviously annoyed.

“Ryder. I’m didn’t expect to hear from you so soon.”

Sara frowns. The director’s lips are stretched into a thin line, and she figures that she’d better go straight to the point.

“Tann. Why is Avitus in charge of the investigation?

He sighs before answering. “Pathfinder Avitus oversees the whole Pytheas system, as you are well aware. The outpost is therefore within his jurisdiction. Besides, I thought you were on holidays… I clearly recall you asking for holidays for you and your crew.”

The irony in his voice is despicable and leaves a bitter taste in her mouth. Sara’s nails dig into her palms under the table, where he cannot see it. “Someone was killed. And I’ve been shot, Tann. Holidays are fucking over.”

He doesn’t respond, so she goes on, trying to keep calm.

“I want access to the files.”

“Doctors have put you on bed rest for a week, Pathfinder.” Tann’s thin lips seem to have completely disappeared for being so stretched, now. “I’m looking at the recommendations as I speak. I strongly advise you follow doctor’s orders.”

“That’s insane!” She finally loses her temper and claps her fist on the table, ignoring the agony suddenly awakening in her body. “I’m here, on location! I saw them, the attackers, I was there! I’m the one who found Hainly…” Her voice almost breaks when she remembers the poor scientist lying in a puddle of blood on the floor.

“I’m sure that Pathfinder Rix will have questions for you. If there’s anything that you can do to help him identify the attackers, he will appreciate it, Ryder. But you are not in charge of this investigation. Your direct orders are to stay on bed rest. Once you have talked to Avitus, you’re free to go back to whatever place you call home.”

“Tann…” Her rage rises and growls inside her, burying the pain in a safer place.

“Ryder, I’ll see you in two weeks, when we’ll meet for the new Pathfinders appointment. In the meantime, I don’t want to hear from you. Enjoy your holidays. Tann, over.”


	6. Take me home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The one in safe hands

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I never planned to post this chapter so quickly… but then I stayed up all night and here’s what happens when I just can’t stop writing.  
> A huge and giant thank you to [ @seokanori](https://seokanori.tumblr.com/) for working so fast and making me such a wonderful cover in so little time!! And also for bearing my with my kickass depression that hits hard sometimes ;) Thank you.  
>   
> Can you feel the pain in this pic? It's perfect.  
>   
> 

The moment he learned that she had been wounded, the night before, he started planning his trip to Eos. Called Keema and told her what had happened. Requisitioned one of his best pilots to go with him. Checked the supplies for the shuttle. Went home to pick some fresh clothes for Sara. Went back to the docks. Called Kassim and yelled at him because the pilot was still missing. Called the man by all sorts of names for being late when he finally showed up. And left Kadara in a hurry.

He did all that automatically, without thinking clearly, without even taking the time to breathe. A persistent threat was shaking his guts the whole time, but he did not stop to listen to it. He had no time.

He knew it. When he tried to call her back and she didn’t answer, he knew that something had happened. He can't remember the run to the deserted city hall in the middle of the night, but he remembers dialing the first number that came to his mind with trembling fingers.

Scott was surprised to hear him. Reyes pretended to sound casual but he couldn’t hide the concern in his voice, and his tone caught the other man’s attention. Sara’s twin hanged up after promising that he would check up on her sister as soon as possible and let Reyes know.

And then, there was the waiting. The longest, cruelest hour of his life. He felt so powerless. It was awful.

When Scott called back, he asked him not to come. But Reyes couldn’t bear to stay put. He had to do something, he had to see her.

He should have gone with her.

 

He checks the command panel in front of him as they enter Eos atmosphere. ETA on Prodromos is 20 minutes, and he wishes time would fly faster.

Looking at his omnitool for the umpteenth time, he sighs loudly. He hasn’t talked to Sara since their last phone call and he received no email. This silence is killing him. His guilt tormented him during the whole trip, and the feeling hasn’t disappeared since.

He’s exhausted. He tried to take a nap a couple of hours after jetting off, but he was unable to even close his eyes. So, he went back to the cabin and stayed there during the rest of the trip, silently bearing with the questioning side-glares of his copilot and ignoring it the best he could.

This whole trip was a nightmare.

 

He jumps out of the shuttle as soon as the door opens in front of him.

“Stay here and watch over the shuttle,” he commands the pilot, “and rest. We might have to leave soon. If anyone asks questions, call me immediately.”

The man nods in response, but Reyes is already getting down the platform.

He sets an impatient foot on the sandy ground and looks around. He never came to Prodromos before, but the outpost looks like all the other Initiative outposts: prefab buildings, metal containers, and tired employees hurrying in the dust.

He is stricken by the evident lack of security. The outpost was attacked the night before and one of the Pathfinders was injured, yet he cannot spot a single soldier standing guard. He frowns to see such negligence. What are the Initiative leaders doing? Why is no one on watch duty? If this had happened on Kadara, he would have immediately secured the perimeter and placed guards at every corner. Hell, he would have sent a hundred men armed to the teeth after Sara’s attackers.

At least, there is no one to bother him or to stop him from heading to the Tempest, whose familiar shadow is docked beneath the cliff bordering the settlement.

He wastes no time.

 

He pauses at the bottom of the ramp leading inside the ship when Sara appears on top, Dr. T'Perro at her heels. He’s momentarily overwhelmed by relief. It’s a good sign that she’s already up and walking. Maybe Scott overreacted on the gravity of her injury.

He remembers when Sara told him that her brother usually dramatizes over minor details that no one else cares about. Reyes recalls that conversation very precisely because he laughed out loud after she told him that, and joked about her being exactly the same. Which she had resented with loud and outraged screams, making him laugh all the more.

Sara glances at him, and a sudden bright and warm light crosses her eyes. But soon he sees something else in it, a cold resolution hardening deep inside her. He recognizes the dark and gloomy look on her face. It’s exactly the one he dreaded. Maybe Scott didn't exaggerate, after all.

Reyes' smile fades away as she paces down the ramp, clutching her stomach with her right hand.

Lexi grabs her by the shoulder to try to stop her, and Sara screams to get rid of her. “Let me go, Lexi!”

“What’s going on?” he asks when they both stop in front of him.

But none of them listens to him.

“Ryder, no.” The doctor’s strongly holding her, refusing to let her go. “Don’t pretend that nothing happened and listen to me. You need to rest, and–”

“Leave me alone!” Sara’s starting to sound hysterical, and Reyes quickly intervenes before the argument escalates. He raises his arm and stands between them to set them apart.

“Wow! Calm down. Both of you.”

Lexi finally acknowledges his presence. “Vidal. Good, you’re here. Perhaps you can put some sense in–”

But Sara interrupts her immediately. “Don’t get him involved in this. I won’t let you do that.”

“Don’t be silly, Ryder.” The asari’s cheeks are red with anger. She points at Reyes. “He has every right to know.”

“Lexi, if you don’t shut the fuck up immediately, I swear… you are fired.” Sara takes a deep breath, thunder in her eyes. “Think carefully. We’re in the middle of the outpost and you’re about to shout private information. I won’t tolerate it.”

Lexi is about to say something but decides against it, biting her tongue. She looks around and realizes that at least a dozen people are looking at them with curiosity, a small crowd gathering nearby. She seems embarrassed.

 

But for the moment, Reyes doesn’t care about the unsolicited witnesses. He looks at the two women with increased concern. He doesn’t like what he hears, and the implacable weight of his guilty conscience brutally falls on him once again.

He hides it behind an angered tone. “Now that you’re both done screaming, is someone going to tell me what the fuck is going on here?”

Sara turns to him, her whole face flushed with fury. “Nothing. Everything’s fine. Lexi found out that I left the med bay despite her precious advice, and we had… an argument, but that is over. I won’t stay a whole week lying in bed like a crippled victim just to please you, Lexi. End of discussion.”

“Ryder…” Lexi is about to lose her temper, but the rest of her sentence dies on her lips when Reyes silences her with a single look. His imperious glance leaves the asari speechless.

He gets closer to Sara. Gently cupping her chin, he forces her to look at him. “Hey. Hey. Look at me. Calm down, my love.”

Resentment is flashing in her eyes. But behind it, Reyes sees an abysmal exhaustion. And pain, so much pain safely buried under her wrath. He mentally shivers when he realizes how hurt she is. It’s way worse than he thought.

He grabs her hand still pressed on her stomach and frowns when he sees the fresh blood stain on her shirt. “Sara… you’re bleeding. Please, be reasonable and let her treat your wound.” He glances at Lexi. “And then I’m sure we can reach an agreement so that you could rest in your quarters for a while. Right, doctor?”

Lexi winces but consents. “Yes. If you let me check your stitches first and change your dressing.”

Sara looks utterly exhausted all of a sudden, her fatigue finally catching up. He never saw such despair on her face.

“I… I want to go home, Reyes. Please… take me home.”

He nods. “I will. But I haven’t slept in 3 days and I need to rest, first. And so do you.”

He lifts her head with loving fingers and hushes with force and reassurance. “Then we’ll go home.”

He slides an arm around her waist, and she immediately leans on him. He feels her relief as she transfers her weight on him, the trembling muscles in her legs and her pounding heart. The blood stain on her shirt is widening, and he wonders how she can stand on her feet.

He suspects the raging fire in her eyes is the only thing keeping her up. And he knows that once that fire will be extinguished, she will collapse.

“Come on, now.” He picks her up in his arms and carries her up the ramp to the Tempest. She grabs his neck with all her remaining strengths, and yet she never felt so light and feeble.

He tries not to think about it.

 

She remains tense while Lexi cleans and treats her wounds in the med bay. She refuses to unclench her lips during the whole time and barely acknowledges the doctor's recommendations. But Reyes’ hands don’t leave hers for a second, and she throws him a tiny but grateful smile when he refuses the wheelchair Lexi is offering and takes her to her quarters in his tender arms.

Once inside, he lays her on the bed with caution and rearranges the pillows in her back before sitting next to her. “How do you feel?”

“I… don’t know.”

He raises a dubious eyebrow.

“Honestly… I don’t know.”

“Does it hurt?” He points at her belly, unable to hide the worry filling his voice.

She shakes her head, briefly shutting her eyes before facing him. “No, I’m fine. I don’t want to sleep, Reyes. I can’t, anyway. I need to talk to Rix, he could be here any minute…”

“Rix? The turian Pathfinder?”

She nods.

“Why do you need to see him?”

She clenches her fists. “They won’t let me be in charge of the investigation.”

Now he understands where her anger is coming from. “Sara… Of course, they won’t let you carry out the investigation. You’ve been wounded. And you’re on holidays.”

“Damn, not you too, Reyes…” She moves away from him. “Don’t give me the holiday speech, please. I already heard it from Tann and believe me, that was enough for one day.”

Given her reaction, he figures he’d rather not insist. He has no idea what he could do to appease her, and so he stays there and listens to her furious silence.

She breaks it soon enough. “Why are you here, Reyes?”

“Would you believe me if I said I have a business meeting?”

“Of course not.”

“I came for you, Sara.” He runs soft fingers in the back of her neck, trying to ease the tension on her shoulders. “That must be worth a kiss, at the very least.” He leans toward her, and she humors him with a forced smile on her lips.

“You got me worried.” He steals another kiss from her. “Don’t do that again.”

She doesn’t answer. He takes a deep breath before asking the question burning his lips. “What happened?”

“I was shot.”

“Come on, Sara. Don’t be like that, not with me. You know you can tell me everything?”

She sighs. “I wish I could. But this… this is Pathfinder’s business.”

He grabs her hand, gently but firmly. “This is no Pathfinder’s business. You said so yourself, you’re not in charge here. You’re not allowed to secrecy, this time. This is Sara’s business and it affects me, too.”

“I don’t want to talk about it.”

“Tell me, Sara. Let me fix this.”

She throws him a curious look. “You can’t... just fix this, Reyes.”

“Let me try, at least.”

But she breaks away from him, a warning in her eyes, and sits on the edge of the bed to escape his inquisitive questions.

 

He doesn’t insist. He sits right behind her, enveloping her with warm, caring arms, and rests his chin on her shoulder. She stiffens suddenly, surprised by his proximity. He remains steady, cautious not to hurt her but desperately in need to connect with her. He doesn’t want to pressure her, and so he swallows his concerns. He waits.

The quietness of the room is soothing. Sara is still restless, but her combativeness progressively decreases. As her anger fades away, pain comes back on her face and for a moment, she seems about to cry.

He feels the shiver inside her, the tormented affliction that agitates her. He hugs her close and wraps his delicate fingers around her stomach with loving care.

He doesn’t know how long it takes before her hands grab his forearms in response. She’s still shaking, but she finds comfort in the silent peace he brought with him. Slowly, she begins to relax in his embrace and her body leans further on him. After what seemed like an eternity to him, she completely rests against his chest, her breath calming down at last.

He rests his forehead against her temple.

“Tell me,” he murmurs. His voice is low, reassuring. But there’s a hidden order in it. A tone that will suffer no refusal.

 

And she tells him. She tells him everything that happened – the long hours of tests, the discovery, the remnant tech. The wind, the cold. The lab, the darkness, the gunshot. And the blood, all that blood.

She omits nothing. It feels like a deliverance.

She uses the words as tears, she cries them out of her throat so that her eyes won’t burn her anymore. And like tears, her words wash away the sadness that she refuses to admit, that she refuses to feel.

He holds her tighter and tighter while she speaks, as if he was afraid he could still lose her. The pain carried by her words hurts him deep inside, her rage sets his soul on fire. He buries his face in her neck, aching to hear what she has been through.

He should have been there. He should have been with her.

A cold fury is rising inside of him. Whoever did this to her, they are going to pay for that. That’s all he can think of as she goes on and explains the shadow bending over her for endless seconds, the sounds of footsteps going away. Then the darkness spreading, on the floor and in her mind.

She pauses, her throat hoarse for having spoken for so long. She cocks her head back and loudly exhales.

Finally, she finds the strength to say what she was really dreading to say. She draws courage from his reassuring presence, his tender hug and his breath in her neck. She has no doubt that she can face it, now that he’s with her. She roots her confidence in that certainty, the fierce belief that, somehow, he will ease her burden.

And she just says it.

“I was pregnant, Reyes.”

 

Though she barely uttered the words, they clash violently on the bay window in front of them.

His fingers imperceptibly stiffen.

A long silence follows while he registers the information. His hands seem heavy all of a sudden, and she realizes in a blur that his grip is hurting her. But she wouldn’t want him to stop, not for anything in the world. She holds on to them as if they were the only thing keeping her alive at this very moment.

“When…?” That’s the first question to come to his mind. He stops before asking it, though, and immediately regrets almost saying it. He realizes it wasn’t subtle at all, but he couldn’t help it. He needs to know.

Sara nervously shifts into his arms, her anxiety rising when she hears his hesitation. She looks away, through the window and into the bright daylight. “According to Lexi’s files… 5 weeks ago.”

He doesn’t answer. 5 weeks… A wide smile flickers across his face.

He remembers the night she joined him on Aya, after he’d begged her to forgive him. He remembers how cold and desperate he had felt until she took his hand, and how the heat of her skin against his had wiped away every doubt and fear as they lied together in the grass.

He remembers thinking that nothing could ever set them apart. He remembers that the whole universe seemed to agree with him when she whispered that she loved him. When they were completely, truly reunited.

They made more than just love, that night. They made a baby. He cherishes the memory all the more. Unplanned and unexpected as it was, it warms his heart. In a curious, peculiar way, that doesn’t feel bad at all.

He’s the first surprised by the thought. This is something he didn’t know about himself.

 

“So, that means–”

“I know what it means,” she interrupts him, smiling poorly. Another bravado to lock away the tears. “Yeah… Aya.”

“You didn’t know?”

“No. I had no idea. Lexi told me when I woke up.”

“And SAM didn’t–”

She cuts him off immediately. “Don’t... please, don’t. Lexi asked the same question, and SAM almost got mad.” She shakes her head. “I had never heard him being angry. Right, SAM?”

“I totally resent Dr. T’Perro’s hidden accusations, Pathfinder. I am sorry if my reaction overstepped my boundaries. But I could not let her imply that I don’t monitor your health with sufficient care. Your well-being is my main focus and the only reason I live. I would never let anything happen to you, and I hope you are aware of that.”

“Of course, SAM. It’s not your fault. And I never doubted you.”

Sara looks at Reyes and shrugs. There’s an apprehension in her gaze, an anxious wait for his reaction, as if she was afraid to disappoint him. As if she feared he wouldn’t look at her the same way, now that he knows.

He aches to see that look. He feels how strong she tries to be, and yet how close she is to fall to pieces in his arms. He plunges his eyes into hers to reassure her.

“That’s ok, Sara. We’ll have plenty of time to make beautiful babies later.” He knows this is not what she wanted to hear. But that’s all he has to say. He kisses her shoulder and holds her tight, tighter than ever.

She lets a sad snort-laugh out. “Please, be serious, Reyes.”

“I am serious. Damn, Sara… I would ask you to marry me, if only I thought you’d say yes.” He quickly goes on when she glances at him with surprise. “I know you wouldn’t. But me? I know it would be the right thing to do.”

She closes her eyelids. “It’s way too early to talk about that.”

“Maybe… but it’s not like we have the choice.”

“I don’t see the point. Neither of us wanted… this. There’s really nothing to say.”

“Sara… there’s plenty to say. Maybe not right now, maybe not today… But keeping this to yourself would do more harm than good, believe me.”

Her lips remain shut as she looks into the distance once again.

He insists, determined to overcome her clear reluctance. “You don’t want children?”

She sighs before finally answering him. “Honestly? I never thought about it. My parents didn’t exactly set a good example… and besides, it’s part of my contract. As long as I’m Pathfinder, I have to remain under birth control therapy. It’s written in small letters at the end of the agreement. Lovely, isn’t it?”

Her sarcasm never sounded sadder. He doesn’t know what to say to that.

She goes on after a while, almost timidly. “And you? Do you… want children?”

He boldly grins. “At least 15.”

 

At first, she’s shocked. She looks at him, utterly bewildered. And then, she meets his sparkling eyes.

She bursts out laughing. An irrepressible, uncontrollable roar arises from her throat, loud and generous.

She has no idea where that comes from. It’s a sudden need that she cannot repress, itching and scratching her whole body. The shakes hurt her wounds on her back and belly, but she just can’t stop. She completely loses it for almost a whole minute before she slowly begins to breathe normally again.

He smiles when he hears her. The tiny tears still hanging from the corners of her eyes are now glowing with unexpected happiness, and he wipes them with tender fingers.

“I don’t know how you can make jokes in moments like this, Reyes… but thank you. I needed to hear that.”

He softly kisses her. “Glad I could help.”

The shape of his confident smile is printed on her cheek, so soft against her skin that she feels like it’s reaching directly to her soul.

“You will be ok, Sara. We’ll be ok. Even if it takes time.” He whispers, now.

She rests her head against his and nests again in his arms. “I know,” she whispers back, peacefully shivering from the warm, reassuring spikes his touch sends in her every fiber. “I know.”

He hushes in her ear. “And I promise I’ll take you home as soon as possible.”

A genuine smile appears on her lips. “That’s okay. You don’t have to.”

He looks at her in surprise, wondering what she means by that.

 

She takes her time to answer, enjoying the joyful and fierce conviction arising inside of her. She understands now. She feels so safe with his hands around her.

His heart crumbles when he hears her, blindly crushed by the love he feels for her.

“You don’t need to take me home, Reyes. I’m already there.”


	7. Partners in crime

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The one with a little help

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And endless and vibrant super hug to [ @seokanori](https://seokanori.tumblr.com/) for another wonderful cover!! Go check out her art on Tumblr if you haven’t done so already. Really, check it out now ;)

 

He watches Sara sleeping. He listens to her breathing, her calmed heartbeat rocking in peace against his chest.

He watches her sleeping, silently praying that he could join her in her dreams and never leave.

He finally talked her into following Lexi’s advice and taking some rest, and despite her reluctance she soon fell asleep in his arms. He wishes he could do the same. Exhaustion crashes over his tired mind, but anger burns harder in his heart.

He holds her close. He holds on to the trust she put in him, the faith she had he would ease her burden. But it’s not enough to wipe out the cold fury rooted inside him and, once again, he’s incapable of sleeping. He can’t even close his eyes. It’s too painful.

He feels powerless every time he remembers the way she seemed dried out of words, as if she had cried all she had to say. He understands exactly how she felt – soothed, but not healed. He wonders if that will ever completely heal.

He shakes his head to get rid of the thought. The unsettling, disturbing urge is still shivering in his guts, and he feels torn. He doesn’t want to leave her, not for a single moment. But he cannot resist the impulse that is beating stronger at every second in his chest. A persistent idea haunts him: someone is going to pay for what they did to her.

_For what they did to us._

He has to do something, he has to help her. Damn, there’s nothing he wouldn’t do to help her. And if she cannot leave her room and investigate properly… then, he will do it for her.

His mind is clearer, now.

 

Slowly, carefully, he frees her from his embrace and crawls away from her. Sara mumbles in her sleep, wincing when she rolls on her side, and he freezes his movement, concerned that she’d wake up. But she relaxes again and returns to the quiet comfort of unconsciousness.

He gets up with caution and looks around. Shadows are slowly swallowing the room, and he realizes that several hours have gone by since he set foot on Eos. Nightfall progresses over the planet and covers the floor with darkness. He shivers suddenly.

He looks at Sara one more time, repressing a dry cough in order not to disturb her. When he’s sure that she’s still asleep and safely wrapped in the warmth of the blanket, he checks his emails and skims through the pending reports he received while taking care of her. There’s not much for once, and Reyes mentally thanks his friends for sparing him the unnecessary details of the usual business.

Among the few things that will eventually require his attention, he notices that Nakamoto sent him the personal file he asked for before leaving Kadara. He pinches his nose, unwilling to get to it right now.

He decides to leave all that for later. Nothing is as urgent as the present trouble in his mind, and he has a lot to do before Sara wakes up.

He sighs and raises his head, and his gaze falls on the glowing light on the desk. Blue gleams are moving over the surface of SAM’s terminal, flashing in his direction with a regular and intriguing pattern. Reyes comes nearer.

“SAM?” he whispers, cautious not to disturb Sara.

“Mr. Vidal,” the AI whispers back to him. “Do not worry, Ryder is not going to wake up. I am monitoring her vitals and she is now in a heavy sleep.”

Reyes sits at the desk. “Is she going to be ok? Her wounds, I mean. Is she in pain?”

“Not at the moment. She needs rest, but she won’t suffer any long-term physical consequences from her injuries.”

Reyes knows he should be relieved to hear so. But he also feels that physical pain is not the AI’s main concern. Neither it is his.

SAM goes on. “Dr. T’Perro gave her the best possible treatment, and there is nothing more I could do to help Ryder’s healing.”

There’s an unexpected annoyance in his tone, and Reyes leans forward. “What’s bothering you, then?”

The reply doesn’t come immediately but when it does, the AI’s hushed voice sounds unusually determined. "I want to help.”

“Help Sara? How?”

“By providing her with what she needs: answers. And for that, I need you, Mr. Vidal. I know what’s on your mind, for I have thought about it, too. Let me assist you with the investigation.”

Reyes is stunned. “Why would you help me, SAM?”

“I could tell you that you are an important and esteemed parameter in the Pathfinder’s life and that I value the positive influence you have on her. I could tell you that I know her better than anyone and that, therefore, I am aware that helping you is helping her. But that would be a useless rhetoric to avoid telling the truth. The truth is that I like you, Mr. Vidal. I feel that, like myself, you would do anything to protect Ryder. I failed her once, but it won’t happen again.”

 

Reyes remains pensive. He has heard SAM manifesting obvious signs of guilt in front of him before, and he can’t help but wonder how deeply the AI is affected by Sara’s current condition. The emotions SAM displays so openly when it comes to her are almost too human. AI or not, he cares for her, that’s for sure. That is odd, and also a bit strange... but nevertheless certain. Reyes knew that Sara and SAM developed a strong relationship over the last year, yet he never suspected how fond of the Pathfinder the AI really was.

“You’re feeling guilty, SAM?” he chuckles sadly. “Yeah… so do I.”

“I know why I am feeling guilty, but why are you, Mr. Vidal?” There’s no sign of shock or accusation in the AI’s tone, only a genuine curiosity.

Reyes looks over his shoulder and checks that Sara can’t hear them. He lowers his voice. “SAM, I… I need to trust you on this one. She cannot learn what I’m about to tell you. Not now, anyway.”

“You have my word. As long as it doesn’t involve any risk for her security and well-being, your secrets are safe with me. They always have been, if I may remind you.”

Reyes smiles briefly. He’s not sure that SAM sees him, but he hopes the AI knows that he’s grateful. It’s indeed not the first time that SAM helps him, and he suspects it’s not the last, either.

“Thanks, SAM. Is there a way we can talk in private?”

He is once again astonished to hear the answer.

“I reckon the Pathfinder’s omnitool is presently on her desk and left with no surveillance. Should you take it for, let’s say, about half an hour and put it back in place right after, no one would notice its disappearance.”

There’s not the slightest hint of scruples in SAM’s voice, and Reyes blankly looks at the omnitool in front of him, incredulous.

As if he needed to prove his point, SAM insists. “I can open doors you don’t even imagine. You need me, as much as I need you.”

Reyes gets up and takes the equipment on the desk. His decision is made. “Ok. SAM, you’re coming with me. You and I have an investigation to get started.”

The reply comes without delay. “Of course, Mr. Vidal. Count me in.”

 

Reyes gets out of the room and hurries down the main hall. As he passes in front of the med bay, he hears a cold voice calling after him.

“Vidal.”

He silently curses. Now is not the time for a chat with the doctor. He swiftly hides Sara’s omnitool in his pocket before turning to Lexi, who was visibly waiting and peering into the hallway through the open doors.

She comes nearer and leans on the threshold of the med bay. She clears her throat before speaking. “How is she?”

“Better. Resting.”

“Good.” Although Lexi doesn’t press for more, the question in her eyes is almost audible. She’s trying to figure out what he knows.

Reyes looks away, frowning. These are things he says to Sara, but to her only. He doesn’t feel comfortable sharing his thoughts about the situation with the asari, even if she is Sara’s doctor.

“She told me what happened,” he finally tells her after an awkward silence. He really doesn’t want to elaborate and tries to cut off the conversation. “She will be fine. Don’t worry, doc.”

He prepares to leave, but the look on Lexi’s face stops him. He’s staggered to see an unexpected approval in her eyes, a hint of admiration hidden behind her motherly concern.

“You’re doing good, you know. With her.” Lexi stares at her feet as she utters the compliment.

Reyes is perplexed. “And that surprises you?”

“Well… yes. That’s… not common. Not many people have that effect on her.”

He shrugs and discards her comment. He turns away, but Lexi calls after him one more time.

“Wait… where are you going? When she wakes up, I will need to change her dressing. I think you should be there. She listens to you more than to me, apparently.”

He ignores the bitterness of her tone and cunningly eludes her question. “SAM is looking after her. I’ll be back before she wakes up.”

Lexi is about to add something but SAM’s voice echoes in the hall, startling both of them. “Mr. Vidal convinced Ryder to take the sedatives you recommended, Dr. T’Perro. She is currently profoundly asleep, and I recommend not disturbing her until she wakes up on her own.”

The doctor’s lips straighten in a thin line, but she says no more. She seems sad all of a sudden, and Reyes realizes that she’s genuinely worried for Sara, too. He feels her frustration the same way he felt SAM’s just a moment ago, and he hesitates for a second.

Before walking away, he gives the doctor one last glance. His eyes soften in a feeble attempt of consolation. “She didn’t mean it, you know. She would never fire you. She knows you do care about her.”

A tiny smile appears on Lexi’s lips. “Thank you, Vidal.”

He nods briskly in a sharp sign of dismissal and walks down the hall. “Call me Reyes,” he throws from over his shoulder as he heads for the exit.

 

He gets down the ramp and immediately leaves the Tempest behind him. When he’s far enough and certain to be alone, he switches omnitools on his wrist.

“Ok, SAM… where do I start?”

“The science lab is in front of you, the building on your right. You should be able to identify it without difficulty. Lieutenant Harper and Ryder’s brother are waiting in front of the main door.”

Reyes raises his head in the indicated direction and winces when he spots the two silhouettes in the dark. “Great,” he sighs as he walks in their direction. “That is going to be interesting…”

SAM doesn’t comment, probably too used to the blatant sarcasm Sara provides on a daily basis to react to Reyes’ tired irony. If he wasn’t so tired, the thought could almost have made Reyes laugh. But instead, he hurries toward the science lab. SAM is right, there’s no time to lose.

As he comes nearer, he hears that Harper and Scott are arguing over something. They are trying to keep it down, but Scott sounds really angry. They are so deep in their quarrel that they don’t hear him coming.

Reyes clears his throat when he’s close enough and they abruptly face him, both frowning suspiciously.

For a moment, nobody talks. They are gauging him and trying to figure out what he made of their conversation, Reyes can feel it. They don’t trust him. He assumes that was predictable.

Finally, Scott speaks his mind. “You shouldn’t be here. This is Initiative property, you have no right to enter.”

Reyes chuckles. “Looks like you’re not getting in, either. It seems like you’ve been standing in front of those doors for quite some time now… are you making any progress?”

He’s just guessing the grounds of their argument, really, but he couldn’t help the mockery. Scott furrows his brows, and Reyes curses himself.

 _This is Sara’s brother,_ he keeps thinking. _Don’t fight, don’t look for direct confrontation._ If Scott’s anything like his sister, Reyes knows he can handle the man in a more peaceful manner. He only has to be clever.

Cora makes a step forward to stand between the two men. Reyes notices that she also strategically positions herself between him and the forbidden door, her posture blocking any access to it.

“What are you doing here, Vidal?”

“Same as you, Harper. I wonder why nobody’s standing guard. I wonder why the investigation has not started yet. Why nobody seems to care.”

They glance at each other when they hear his answer. They’re assessing the reasons for his presence, and they don’t seem willing to accept his explanation so easily.

“I just want to help,” he insists.

“Alright, but you have to explain one thing, man,” Scott suddenly barks.

His tone is a bit too accusatory to Reyes’ taste, who silently looks at him with piercing eyes. Damn, he hates when people call him ‘man’. But for Sara’s sake, he bites his tongue. He waits.

“I realized that when you called me on the phone and asked me to check up on Sara, nobody knew what had happened to her. How do you explain that? How could you possibly have known that she had been injured?”

Reyes answers as calmly as possible. “I didn’t know. I had a bad feeling.”

“Yes, you told me that already.” Scott crosses his arms over his chest in defiance.

“Because it’s the truth!” Reyes couldn’t help but let his exasperation out. They obviously don’t believe him.

He inhales deeply and goes on with a more peaceful voice. “Listen. We all want to help Sara and find those bastards who attacked her. We should act like adults and be able to find some kind of understanding, don’t you think?” He moves away before any of them can reply. “Anyway. I’m not going to stand here like an idiot. I’m going in. Come with me or don’t, I don’t care.”

“Wait.” Cora stops him. “What are you doing?”

"I'm going in, in a way or another." Reyes looks at her, then at Scott. He knows he has no choice but to trust them, for the time being. He has come too far to turn around now, and they might even be useful, after all.

With a deliberate slow motion, he raises his wrist and points the omnitool to the door, while Scott and Cora anxiously watch each of his moves. He takes a deep breath. “SAM… could you please open the door?”

Both Scott and Cora’s mouths open wide in astonishment. But the AI answers before any of them can make a sound. “I could, Mr. Vidal, but allow me to advise against it. Forcing this door open would leave suspect traces of our presence in the logs, traces I cannot erase without raising suspicion should anyone look into it.”

 

“Fuck me.” Scott is the first to react. He can’t believe what he just heard.

Cora makes another step forward, menacing flames irrupting in her eyes. “How the hell did you manage to hack SAM’s systems?”

“Wow!” Reyes raises both hands to soothe her. He has seen that flames in Sara’s pupils on many occasions, and now is not the time to mess with the huntress. “I hacked nothing. He offered.”

Cora is not convinced until SAM’s voice comes to his rescue.

“Mr. Vidal tells the truth, Lieutenant. I volunteered and offered my help freely.”

“… Why?”

“As he pointed out, we all want the same thing. It’s only logical we be allies.”

Cora stares at Reyes for another few tense seconds, then finally relaxes and takes a step backward. But her eyes never leave him.

“Ok… what do you suggest we do, then?”

Reyes discreetly exhales in relief. He hopes SAM can feel how thankful he is. Having an AI is definitely very handy.

“There’s a window in the back. It should still be open.”

“And how do you know that?” Cora’s reserve has not completely vanished yet.

“Simple deduction. Sara told me what happened.”

They both seem surprised.

“She told you?” Scott’s grumpiness is replaced by an odd respect in his gaze. “How did you–” he stops in the middle of his sentence and shakes his head, incredulous. “Never mind.”

 

Whatever Scott was about to say, Reyes doesn’t wait for his approval and swiftly circles the building.

He carefully checks for footprints on the ground, just in case. But the wind has obviously erased all eventual marks on the thin sand of the outpost, and Reyes feels his anger coming back to life. That should have been done hours ago, it’s too late now.

As predicted, a window is open. But it’s too high to climb inside by himself without a ladder.

Scott joins him, soon followed by Cora. The three of them stare wordlessly at the window, the same thought on their minds.

Reyes puts one kneel in the sand and motions them to come closer. There is an expression of steely determination in his eyes as he cups his hands and looks ahead, and Cora nods her approval. She leans on his shoulder, and he gives her a leg-up in order to get in the room. Then, he does the same thing for Scott, grunting under the man’s weight and welcoming Cora’s help from above with gratitude. Once they’re both inside, they help him climb to the window.

He’s too relieved they did not leave him alone outside to thank them. He admits the idea has crossed his mind, precisely because that’s something he’d be perfectly capable of doing. But he feels that a non-verbal agreement has been settled between them. They won’t be a problem.

He turns to the room plunged into the darkness.

 

Inside, the smell is repulsing. It reeks of death and fear. The air is rotten all around them, despite the open window.

The place has been completely turned upside down, and pieces of furniture are scattered in every corner. The broken table in the center of the room, whose legs are the only thing standing up in the room, draws his attention.

The floor underneath is bathed with blood. Scott represses a grunt when he sees it. “At least, someone took the other body away…” he murmurs, as if to himself.

Reyes unconsciously clenches his fists. He tries not to think that this is partly Sara’s blood. He also tries not to see how large the coagulated pond is. Instead, he focuses on the many footprints he can already notice on the floor. Most of them are probably from Sara’s teammates when they came to her rescue, but some might belong to the attackers.

Scott stops him before he walks further into the room. “Watch your steps. Have you ever been on a crime scene?”

Reyes can’t help but smile. “More often than you think.”

Scott doesn’t seem to understand the joke. As for Harper, she grimaces but doesn’t comment.

Her reaction indicates that she knows about him and the Collective. But Scott, on the other hand, doesn’t seem to have the slightest clue about him being the Charlatan. That’s interesting… it means that Sara never told her dear brother, and Reyes wonders what else she kept to herself. He stocks the information for later in a corner of his mind. He has better things to focus on right now.

“That story is for another time. Let’s get to it,” he quickly goes on, “we don’t have much time. SAM, could you… do your thing, please?”

“Of course. However, we need to clear up one more thing before I proceed with your request, Mr. Vidal. You have to keep your part of the bargain. Explain to us why you’re here.”

“Right.” Reyes sighs. He stares at his unexpected partners in crime. “I will explain. But first, you both need to give me your word. You won’t tell Sara what I’m about to reveal before I say so.”

Cora and Scott look at each other for a short while, weighing the implications of this promise. They finally seem to reach a mute agreement and nod.

Reyes takes a deep breath. “Ok. Here’s the thing. The night Sara was attacked, I received a weird email…”

 

\----------------------------

 

She wakes up, disturbed by the heavy darkness over her head. Her silent bedroom reverberates hushed echoes of her dreams, quickly fading away along the bay window.

She stretches her sore muscles, suppressing a groan when the ache in her belly awakes suddenly. The pain brings back to life memories of the recent events, in a blinding flash that immediately increases her heartbeat.

She breathes in deeply before turning on the bed, seeking Reyes’ comforting presence. But she’s alone in the room.

She sits up. A low grunt escapes her throat, partly due to the effort she has to make but also coming from the disappointment of seeing that he left while she was asleep. Trying to put it aside, she carefully moves to the edge of the bed and gathers her strength.

The door of her quarters opens a few seconds later, and Reyes hurriedly gets in the room. He frowns when he sees that she’s trying to get up, but she doesn’t let him time to speak.

“Where were you?”

Even though she seems annoyed, he hears the distress in her voice. He hears it as loud and clear as he hears the relief to see him, hidden behind her pretended anger.

“I brought some extra clothes for you.” He drops the backpack he’s carrying on the floor. “I went to pick it up in the shuttle.”

“Oh…” She smiles poorly. “Thanks. You didn’t have to... That was very nice of you.”

“Hey, what can I say? I’m a nice guy, despite what people think.”

She pouts jokingly. “Sure, you are. But I’ll keep that to myself. I don’t wanna ruin your reputation.”

He sits next to her on the bed and takes her hand in his. Plunging his eyes into hers, he lets go of the playful tone. “How do you feel?”

“Better.”

“Do you need anything?”

She shakes her head in denial and rests her shoulder against his. “I’m glad you’re here. I… for a moment, I thought you were gone.”

She imperceptibly shivers, and he cups her face to reassure her.

“I would never leave you.” He kisses her softly. “I’m sorry. I thought I’d be back before you wake up.”

An embarrassed discomfort shifts in his eyes, and she notices the dark circles on his face. “You seem tired. Did you sleep, at least?”

“Don't worry. I’m good.” He looks away, trying to avoid the concern in her glance, and they both remain silent. He gazes through the window into the night, gently squeezing Sara’s hand with his.

 

“What are you thinking about?” she asks after a while, and he turns to face her again.

He smiles briefly. “I was remembering the way you yelled at me, last time I was here.”

She laughs. “I remember you yelling, too.”

“At least this time you yelled at somebody else. It felt good.” He winks. “But you were a bit harsh with Lexi. She’s sincerely worried about your well-being, you know?”

“I know… But she’s not my mother. She should stop acting like one.”

“It doesn’t mean she doesn’t care.” He tenderly kisses her on the forehead. “But I’m sure she’s not mad at you.”

“I’m the one who should be mad…” Sara grumbles. “I would have fired her if she had spoken out loud, for real. I swear.”

He chuckles. “No, you would never do that.”

She squints her eyes at him. “I would. I definitely would.”

“No, you wouldn’t. You told me once that your crew was like a family to you. You can’t dismiss your family.”

“Ok... maybe I wouldn’t. She’d better not try to find out, though.”

“All I’m asking is that you be nice to her when she comes to check on your wounds. Otherwise, she’ll start yelling at me, too.”

“Alright, alright, Mr. Nice Man…” She side-eyes him and quickly changes the subject. “What time is it? I need to check if Rix hasn’t arrived yet. Where’s my omnitool?”

He holds her back. “Don’t move. Let me fetch it for you.”

“Come on, Reyes. I’ll have to get out of bed, eventually. I can do it myself.”

He jumps on his feet and hastily gets to the desk. “No need. If Lexi learns I let you get up for no reason, she’ll have my head.” He goes on before she can answer. “Anyway. I’m sure SAM would have told you if Rix was already on Eos.”

He pretends to take something on the desk as he speaks, making sure to turn his back to Sara so that she cannot see what he’s doing. He needs to discreetly switch omnitools again, and he needs to do it quickly...

Fortunately, SAM’s welcomed statement diverts her attention for a moment. “Pathfinder Rix’s arrival is estimated in half an hour, Ryder.”

Sara sighs. “Perfect. I even have time to take a shower.”

Reyes is not sure if the AI is doing it on purpose, but his intervention saved him twice today, and he exhales in relief. When he turns back to the bed, Sara’s omnitool left his wrist and is now in his right hand.

He hands it to her with a quiet smile. “Here. You see? You should relax.”

She's not listening to him anymore. Her gaze riveted on the screen, she checks her emails. But she’s surprised to see that she received no new messages. She angrily chews on her lower lip. “Please, SAM, ask Rix to meet me in the meeting room ASAP. I’ll wait for him there.”

She turns to Reyes. “Can you help me with that shower?”

He nods.

 

About 30 minutes later, Reyes leaves her alone in the conference room, but not without making her promise that she will go straight to see Lexi in the med bay after her meeting.

As soon as the sound of his footsteps left the room and she’s sure that no one can hear her, Sara inhales loudly and closes her eyes.

“SAM, I need a vid of the upcoming conversation. Please, record it.” A strong determination appears on her face. “And keep this to yourself, ok?”

Her AI doesn’t even seem shocked. “Of course, Pathfinder.”

And they wait together in silence.

 

When he arrives, the ex-Spectre greets her with a firm handshake. “Ryder. I’m sorry we meet again in such circumstances. Thank you for accepting to see me so quickly.”

She welcomes him briskly, and he immediately moves on to the purpose of his visit.

“Before I proceed with the investigation, I need to ask you a few questions, Pathfinder. Do you mind?”

She shakes her head in denial. “Do your job, Rix. I won’t get in the way.”

He signals his gratitude with a quick nod and focuses on his mission.

His questions are precise, logical. She answers him the best she can, trying to recollect all the details she can think of. Avitus lives up to the reputation of the former agents of the Citadel Council, and he seems certain to succeed in his task. Sara is relieved to witness his determination. She doesn’t trust him, not completely, but at least she knows he will do his best.

When he’s finally done with his interrogation, she’s exhausted. It took over an hour, and her head is buzzing with painful memories. But she hardens her resolve and asks the question burning her lips. “Do you have any leads?”

Rix seems embarrassed and shifts uncomfortably, as if he feared she would ask that. “Ryder… I’m afraid I’m not allowed to disclose anything about this case. To anyone.”

“Of course…” The bitterness of her tone is palpable. “I assume you have not the slightest clue, then. That’s comforting.”

He wordlessly stares at her, not responding to her angry accusations.

She insists, her tone almost pleading him. “I need to see the recording of that night, Rix. I need to see it. For my mental health, if not for something else.”

There’s a deep despair in her eyes, one that the turian cannot ignore.

“You helped me through a difficult time, Ryder, and I’ll never forget it. But there’s a lot of a pressure coming from… above. My orders are very clear. This is my first official assignment in Pytheas, and I must prove that I can handle it. I hope you understand.”

Sara winces. She realizes that Tann is behind all this and Avitus’ hands are tied, just like her. She shrugs her shoulders. “I understand, Rix. Thank you for speaking the truth.”

He leans forward. “About the vid, though… Are you sure you want to watch it? I did, and… it could be traumatic, Ryder. I’m warning you.”

“I want to see it and I will, in a way or another.” There’s a stubborn tenacity in her gaze.

He sighs. “Well… I cannot grant you access to it. I’m really sorry, the files are being tracked. But… I feel like I should watch it once more before I start investigating. Do you, by any chance, have any place from where I could watch it… in private?”

Sara rewards him with a large, knowing smile, and it almost looks like Rix winks in reply. But the room is too dark, she cannot be sure.

She motions him to the Vidcon terminal. “You can watch it from here. In private.”

 

Her heart is pounding in her chest as she stands in Rix's back and looks at the screen, but she does not listen to it and concentrates on the images that appear on the terminal. She manages not to react during the first minutes of the video. But when the lights go off, she can’t repress a shiver.

Even if the quality of the images has been enhanced and improved as much as possible, the darkness of the science lab makes it hard to see a damn thing. Exactly like that night. She only hears her own breath, loud and panicked. She never realized how much noise a person’s breathing could make before.

The vid suddenly switches to night-vision, and the infrared sensors allow her to distinguish the furniture. Her eyes try to pierce the room. She remembers something was moving on her right. There, she can see it.

She shudders. One – no, two – blurred stains on the screen are moving fast toward her location. She curses out loud when the thermal camera reveals a clearer picture of the room. “Fuck. They were cloaked. That’s why SAM couldn’t identify the attackers.”

Rix agrees in her back. “Yes. That’s why no one saw them coming.”

“Who are they? Kett infiltrators?”

He doesn’t answer. The vid goes on, and the sound of the gunshot tears her ears once again. Sara remains silent after that, trying to ignore the strangled gurgles escaping her mouth.

Not a word crosses her lips as she watches the blurred shadow nearing her position on the ground. But she never felt tenser than in this precise moment. She holds her breath and watches, horrified and powerless, the dark figure bending over her.

She hears what sounds like a whispered curse that she cannot understand. She turns to Rix, a question in her eyes. He shakes his head in denial.

“No translator could pick that. But this is definitely Tonaizhet, the kett language. Wait.”

Indeed, shortly after, she distinctively hears another murmur, and this time her translator is able to provide a translation. She shivers when she hears it.

_“It’s the Pathfinder.”_

_“What is she doing here?”_ Another voice asks, but there’s no response.

 _“Is she dead?”_ The same voice whispers again.

 _“No.”_ The shadow bending over her ferrets around with something next to her for endless seconds.

Sara can't believe how long all that took. In her head, it felt like merely the time to breathe. She didn’t even hear that they were talking.

But when the shadow finally gets up, she freezes, completely stunned. It was nearly imperceptible, but the cloak weakened for a fraction of second, she saw it.

She looks at Rix. Did he notice this? He doesn’t say a word, blankly staring at the screen with the grim expression of a man who has watched something too many times to truly care about it.

She figures she might as well keep what she saw to herself.

 

A moment later, the screen becomes dark again. The sound of their heavy footsteps fades away as the two kett head for the window, and the vid ends.

She immediately turns to the turian. “I need to watch it again.”

Rix shakes his head in denial. “Ryder… no. I’m sorry.”

Sara’s penetrating eyes stare at him in silence, but he doesn’t seem troubled at all.

“I wish I could do more, but I can’t. It’s a huge favor I did you.”

Arms crossed over her chest, she throws him a fierce look of defiance. But she doesn’t insist, and Rix seems relieved.

“I’ll let you rest, then. I have a lot to do to secure the place before the end of the night. Thanks again for answering my questions. If you remember anything else…”

“I’ll tell you ASAP.” She nods.

“Have a speedy recovery, Pathfinder.” He gently claps her shoulder with one last sorry glance before leaving. “I’ll see you on the Nexus.”

 

She waits until he gets down the ramp and disappears out of sight. There’s a cold resolution in her eyes, an inflexible determination in her clenched fists.

“SAM? Play the whole vid again.”


	8. Passengers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The one with the ride

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wonderful art by the lovely [ @seokanori](https://seokanori.tumblr.com/).

 

She’s been moping around her quarters, lying in bed and bored to death, since she talked to Rix. It was three days ago.

His team of grim turians came and secured the perimeter, locked the outpost and established a strict regulation of all the travelers. They interrogated every inhabitant, collected fingerprints everywhere outside the science lab, and the Pathfinder himself remained several hours inside the building, probably assessing evidence. But they didn’t tell a word to anyone about their progress.

They came, and then they left. Left and took everything with them. Sealed the door of the lab, and proclaimed that there was nothing to fear, that there would be no other attack. They jumped all together inside the spaceship that had brought them to Eos, and they were gone.

 

Sara witnessed all that from afar, confined in her bedroom, looking through the window like a useless passenger waiting in vain for the ride to end. Except that for once, the Tempest was not taking her anywhere, both of them grounded until further notice.

A bitter and rotten taste flooded her throat the whole time. Rix didn’t try to get in touch with her, and neither did she try to reach out to him.

She doesn’t want to resent his attitude. He’s just doing his job, and to be fair she would have done exactly the same thing. That’s what pathfinders do after all: they come and explore every path offered to them, take all there is to take and move on to another task.

Still. She doesn’t like being on the other side of the fence.

It’s been three long, insufferable days for her, three endless days of rest. Rest, and wait. Wait, and rest. And, in between, some more sleep, while her companions were outside, trying to gather as much information as possible. Not that they had much luck, apparently, or rather they chose not to share their findings with her.

She’s not really mad at them. She’s aware they’re only trying to protect her, even though this idea infuriates her.

But she cannot blame them. She didn’t tell them everything, either.

 

She doesn’t know how she would have made it without Reyes. She would have gone insane without him. Of course, her teammates stopped every day by her room, to check up on her and try to cheer her up. Gil even organized a poker game with Peebee and Reyes last night, and she suspects they all let her win on purpose.

That was cute of them, really. Well, it was cute until Jill called because she couldn’t put the baby to sleep and begged for Gil’s help, and the loud cries of Gillian on the other side of the line soon persuaded him to comply immediately to her request.

Peebee laughed and mocked him all the way, imitating the sound of a cracking whip in his back until he disappeared down the hall. She stayed a bit around after that, but soon she felt that the mood was not there, and she left them alone.

Sara told none of her friends. She doesn’t want to be treated like a victim.

 

At least Reyes understands her. He spent most of those three days silently looking after her, taking care of his business on Kadara from the desk of her bedroom. Glancing from time to time at her with caring eyes, asking if she needed anything. Never too pushy, always considerate. Affectionate, even.

Lexi showed him how to change Sara’s dressings, and he took care of that every day, checking her wounds with attention and mutely searching for signs of infection. She’s amazed by the delicacy of his touch, and most of all she admires his calm. She would have gone nuts, if not for him.

Yet, it bothers her that he acts as if he was perfectly fine. She sees that he’s really just pretending, how exhausted he is. And troubled, too.

The thin line on his forehead has widened even more lately. She knows she shouldn’t ask about his Charlatan’s business, but she can’t help but wonder. She’s keeping him away from his life and his responsibilities, and she has no right to ask him such a thing.

He refused to hear anything about that, though, and opposed a resounding no to each of her attempts to tackle the matter. He’s resolved to stay with her until he can bring her back home, and nothing could persuade him otherwise now that his stubborn mind is made.

 

She won’t admit it out loud, but deep down, she’s relieved he stayed. Even if it’s weird to have him around on the Tempest all the time, and even if it means that she had only one occasion to watch the vid, taking advantage of one of his absences while he was out making some phone calls. She asked SAM to play it the minute Reyes left the room, and she made him swear that he would tell no one.

She doesn’t know why she did that, why she had to keep it a secret. Maybe because so far she found no answer in that video… and she desperately needs answers.

SAM confirmed straightaway what she noticed: a small portion of the cloaked shield shifted for only a fraction of second, and the kett was holding something in his hand, something that wasn’t properly camouflaged.

Endless and disturbing ideas are permanently floating in her head, obsessive and overwhelming. Sometimes she wakes up in the middle of the night, just to consider another possibility before discarding it and going back to a troubled sleep.

But neither she or SAM could figure out what it is. Not knowing is killing her inside. And yet, she kept that to herself.

 

Today she feels a little better, though. The pain in her belly is finally gone, and she even managed to shower and put her clothes on by herself. She’s damn hungry, and instead of going back to her bedroom where Reyes is waiting for her, she decides that it’s time she had a proper meal in the galley. She’s done being a victim.

She sneaks out of the bathroom and checks that Lexi is not lurking somewhere in the hall. After making sure that the way is safe and clear, she enters the small kitchen where Scott sits alone at the table, deep in his thoughts over his untouched plate in front of him.

“Why are you alone with this gloomy look on your face?” She asks while she goes through the pantry, in search of some breakfast. All that is left are dehydrated vegetables and some dumpling mix, and she closes the door of the closet with a disappointed snap of her tongue.

Scott jumps in surprise. “I didn’t hear you coming.”

Sara takes a soda from the fridge and sits next to him. “What’s going on? Are you as bored as I am?”

“No… not bored. I was just thinking.”

“Doesn’t seem like pleasant thoughts… You don’t want to share it with your dear sister, by any chance?”

He smiles faintly but shakes his head in denial.

“Come on, Scott. I’m bored. Talk to me, about anything. Please.”

She takes a long sip from the can and stares fixedly at him. He holds her gaze as long as he can, familiar with this silly game they’ve been playing since they were kids. But, like when he was a child, Sara insists until he gives up and looks away. She always wins.

“Ok. If you want to talk, tell me more about Reyes.”

He’s pleased to see that she winces. That’s obviously not what she had in mind, and Scott boldly crosses his arms over his chest, waiting for her answer.

“Reyes? What about him?”

“… I’ve barely talked to him, to be honest. He’s been here for 3 days, and I still don’t know anything about him. I was wondering.”

Sara shrugs her shoulders and gets up. “Is this because of that phone call he gave you, again? I told you there’s nothing to worry about.”

She rummages inside the pantry to avoid meeting her brother’s eyes. She doesn’t like the course that the conversation is taking, and suddenly she wishes she had returned to her quarters instead.

But Scott’s not ready to let go. “You didn’t tell me much about him... and he’s not much of a talker. He was a cop before coming to Andromeda, right?”

She irrepressibly bursts out laughing when she hears that, and almost drops her drink on the floor.

“Fuck, Scott! Where did you get that idea?”

He seems embarrassed. He blushes a little, like every time he feels he just said something stupid.

“Well, he… he mentioned something about crime scenes, once, so I thought…”

Sara represses another amused giggle. “No, he wasn’t a cop. I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to make fun of you. It’s just…” She chuckles once more. “Imagining him wearing a police uniform is the funniest thing ever.”

“So, you really don’t want to tell me more about your boyfriend, huh?”

She manages to regain some self-control. “If you’re that curious, ask him yourself. These are not my secrets to share.”

He’s not satisfied by her response. “I have to say that, of all the guys you’ve ever been with, he’s the most mysterious.”

“He’s not one of the ‘guys’, Scott. He’s… different.”

“And how would you define him, then?”

She thinks deeply before replying. “As my other self.”

Scott’s astonished. “That’s quite enigmatic. And coming from you, really unexpected…”

 

The door of the galley opens, saving her the trouble of continuing this awkward conversation. Reyes enters the room, clearly preoccupied, and stares at Scott for a second before turning to face her.

“I was looking for you.”

“Well, you found me. Are you hungry?” She asks innocently, not letting him time to blame her for not saying where she was going. “I can prepare breakfast.”

“I’ll eat later. I have some calls to make. It won’t take long, ok?” Reyes presses her hand and exits the galley after glancing at Scott.

Her brother seems in a sudden hurry and gets on his feet as soon as he’s gone.

“I’d better get going, too. I promised to help Cora... with something.”

And without further explanation, he too leaves the room with haste.

Sara blankly looks in front of her. Something is odd, she can’t say precisely what… but she has a curious sensation. Something’s up, even if she can’t quite put her finger on it. Like she was left in the dark.

She doesn’t like that.

Her growling stomach reminds her that she still hasn’t eaten anything. Exhaling loudly, she grabs a pack of dried food from the cupboard. Vegetables it is, then.

 

Reyes has not come back yet when she enters her quarters a moment later. The nagging feeling in her stomach has not disappeared. She didn’t enjoy her lonely breakfast as much as she thought, and she hurried to finish it. Something’s still bugging her, it’s been bugging her for the last three days.

Checking the clock, she hesitates briefly. She has no idea when Reyes will be back, but she might not have another opportunity before long.

She sits on the bed and fiddles with her omnitool, still unsure of what to do. As she peers through the window of her bedroom, she frowns to see Reyes talking with her brother outside the Tempest. Whatever Scott is telling him, Reyes nods and points a finger toward the landing site. Then, the two of them head in the indicated direction.

“ _I’ve barely talked to him_ ,” she mumbles to herself, mimicking her brother’s tone. It looks like they’re pretty acquainted already, despite what Scott told her a few minutes ago…

She lets an exasperated sigh out and holds her forehead. So, that’s what Reyes is doing when he’s not with her. She understands why Scott asked her all those questions, and why he left in a hurry.

She doesn’t know what they’re up to, but she doesn’t like that. That will require some serious questioning when they’ll be back.

 

But for now, she has better things to do. Whatever secret business they’re plotting together, she’s determined to use this time alone to carry on her own investigation.

“SAM? Did you prepare what I asked?”

“Yes, Pathfinder.” As usual, the AI answers immediately. “I have prepared a collection of screenshots taken with a vast array of image-processing filters and using various algorithms and techniques, from gamma to infrared vision. I tried to extrapolate from the shape and dimensions of the object, but the prospects are too wide. I am afraid the range of potential objects includes too many items and it cannot be narrowed to a satisfying list I could present you.”

That’s not exactly what she wanted to hear, but she resolutely raises her omnitool. “Show me those pics, SAM. I have to try.”

She leans forward and concentrates on the images projected by the AI. She inspects them one by one, again and again.

She focuses on the cloaked shadows, not on the body beneath. Somehow, she manages to forget that it is her lying on the floor. The blood spread over the room is not hers, it belongs to someone else. Someone else is dying in the darkness which impregnates the room.

Someone else, not her.

She has no idea how long she stares at the pictures, squinting for trying so hard to figure out what it is the kett is holding in his hand. She needs to know.

She gets closer to the screen, screwing up her eyes with tense focus. That’s driving her mad. What is that thing? It’s long and thin. And dark, as if covered in blood. What could it be? Did he pick up something in the room, or on the floor? What could a kett do with…

 

Suddenly, it hits her. She unconsciously gets up, as electrified, and a terrified gasp escapes her throat while she remembers in a flash the Archon plunging a syringe in her brother’s neck. She remembers when he had done the same to her, she remembers the coldness that had taken hold of her at that moment. Just like that night in the lab.

The horrible reality of what she’s seeing on the screen implacably dawns on her. The kett holds a needle in his hand.

 

Panic.

It creeps up her spine with frenetic vibes of endless terror. Her trembling fingers instinctively reach for the back of her neck, covered in a thin layer of cold sweat, and she takes an unsteady step backward.

 

“What are you doing?”

Reyes’ voice makes her jump in surprise. She didn’t hear him coming, her heart pounding too heavily in her chest.

She stares at him, completely aghast, and his smile fades when he reads the panic in her eyes.

“What’s wrong?”

She blinks, all colors gone from her face.

“Lexi… I need to see Lexi.”

Without further explanation, she pushes him out of her way and runs toward the med bay.

 

When Reyes joins her, she’s sitting on the bed and shouting orders at a poor and helpless Lexi, who has no idea of what to do.

“Now, Lexi! I need a scan. A full-body scan, right now!”

“Ryder…” Lexi looks at him with anxiety when he appears on the threshold, and he returns her confused glare with raised eyebrows.

Lexi turns to Sara. “What’s going on? First, you need to tell me–”

“The kett, Lexi, the kett!” Sara is sounding hysterical. She hardly manages to speak. “They did something to me, I saw it! The vid… they injected… my neck…”

“What vid are you talking about?” Reyes asks with caution.

“Rix, he showed me the vid!” she pants loudly, unable to catch her breath. “Damn, scan me, do it, now!”

The asari glances one more time at Reyes, and Sara instantly notices it. “Fuck, Lexi! Don’t look at him, you don’t need his permission! Do as I say!”

Reyes shrugs, and Lexi complies in silence and turns on the scanner.

Sara lies down and relaxes a bit as the equipment goes up and down her body. For a moment, the room is only filled with the soft buzzing of the scanning machinery, and Reyes comes closer to her. But she refuses to meet his eyes and stubbornly watches the terminal next to Lexi’s desk, waiting for the results to be displayed on the screen.

 

She holds her breath, but the x-ray has absolutely nothing to reveal. Lexi and SAM quickly confirm that there’s nothing unusual, no trace of foreign body. But Sara is not ready to let go.

“I saw it, Lexi. The kett, he plunged something in my neck. He had a needle, I know it. He did something to me.” Her lips are trembling again.

Lexi wordlessly glances at her, unsure of what to say, and Sara goes on.

“There must be a way of discovering what they did to me. You have to help me.”

“Ryder… There’s no proof that they did anything to you. You should try to calm down, you’re not thinking clearly.”

But Sara’s eyes are begging her. “Please, Lexi.”

The asari nods. “If it makes you feel better, I could take another blood sample and make more tests, just in case. But that will take some time.”

Sara feels that she doesn’t believe her, Lexi’s frown tells her all she needs to know. Lexi thinks that she’s imagining things, and Sara needs all her strength to remain calm while she rolls up her sleeve for the blood test.

Once Lexi’s done, Reyes grabs Sara’s by the shoulder. “Hey. You should go back to your room and rest until the results come back.”

But she pushes him away. “I won’t go back to my room. I’m done with that.”

“But there’s nothing more you can do until then, anyway. You’d better–”

“That’s easy for you to say! You come and go as you please, you plot behind my back, you…” She stops in the middle of the sentence, silenced by her own irrupting burst of rage.

He insists no more. He hears her frustration, her desperate need to regain control over the situation, to finally get some answers. He understands what’s maddening her, and he hurts to see so much distress in her eyes.

But he knows of one thing that could soothe her.

“Come on, Sara. Let’s get out of here and take the Nomad, have a ride." He holds out his hand to her, a peaceful smile on his lips. “Gil told me this morning he finished installing a new agility mode. Don’t you want to try it?”

She briefly considers his offered hand before looking at him, and a bright and sudden light crosses her face and drowns momentarily her anger.

“Only if I drive," she grumbles between her pouting lips, and he nods quietly in agreement.

 

The engine roars as Sara changes gears and heads the Nomad toward the steep slope that leads up the cliff. They left the outpost more than half an hour ago, but she hasn’t said a word since they got inside the vehicle.

Side-eyeing her from the passenger seat, Reyes decides it’s time to break the oppressive silence.

“Where are we going?”

“I don’t know. Nowhere specific.” She keeps her eyes fixed on the road.

“Is it safe?”

“Hell yeah, it is. Didn’t you hear what Rix said? It’s perfectly safe. No risk of another attack.” She lets out a snort of contempt, and he prefers not to insist.

Shortly after that, she stops the Nomad. They’ve reached a vast and high plateau overlooking the valley, and the wind blows hard when he gets out of the vehicle. The rocky plain lies beneath him, and the outpost is ridiculously small from here. The dozen prefab buildings seem deserted from so far away, abandoned in the middle of nowhere and swallowed by the permanent shadows of the above cliff.

The frailty of the Initiative never seemed so tangible. He realizes how vulnerable all this enterprise is, what an easy target the settlement is for organized intruders. He realizes how quickly all this could be destroyed and burned down to ashes. How quickly all could be lost.

Sara soon joins him. Her hand searches for his, and they look together in the distance, fingers tightly laced.

She shivers suddenly, despite the suffocating heat of the mesa. Nearby boulders reverberate the intensity of the sun, hitting hard on both the ground and their skin, and the warmth of the afternoon radiates in the air all around them. But she can’t repress the violent shudder that runs through her whole body, and she lets go of his hand to wrap her arms around her.

He turns to face her, a mute question on his lips that she hears loud and clear.

She lets a long sigh out. “For all I know, they could still be on Eos… the kett who attacked me. It’s driving me mad, Reyes. They did something to me, I know it. Those fucking kett, they…” She closes her eyes, gritting her teeth. She’s incapable of finishing her sentence, and pain lingers on her face, so alive and excruciating.

He cannot bear to see her in such distress, not anymore. All he wants to do is to hold her in his arms and tell her not to worry. But he knows that it wouldn’t be right. She has suffered enough, and she deserves to be told the truth.

“Sara… they were no kett.”

She looks at him, bewildered. “… What do you mean, no kett? How would you know?”

He breathes in deeply and holds her hand in his again. “First, promise you won’t get mad, okay?”

She frowns, but says nothing. And so, for the second time this week, he starts explaining.

“The night you were attacked, I received a curious email… almost right after talking to you on the phone. At first, it didn’t make sense. But I had had a bad feeling all day, and I knew it had something to do with your mission on Eos. That’s why I was so worried before anyone else.”

Her piercing eyes stare at him and, for a tense moment, he fears she’s going to get angry. But instead, a deep resolution hardens in her gaze.

“Show it to me.”

He sends her a copy of the email. She needs to read it twice, actually. She’s astonished.

 

_From: –source corrupted–_

_To: Resistance – SxxxxxCodeNCrypt#s_

_VO &LD >>-22?908333/-43?196389<<_

_come pathryder we have what you want before the end of the blue moon ALONE or DEATH_

“You got this 5 days ago, and did not tell me?” She pushes him away when she understands. “Those are coordinates! Shit, Reyes. That’s why you called Scott, that’s why you knew!”

“Yes.” He remains as calm as possible while dancing flames spark in her eyes.

“Fuck!” She’s not even trying to hide her exasperation. “You should have told me sooner! Now those fuckers might have disappeared anywhere, and we’ll never–”

“Calm down. I did some digging, you know,” he cuts her off. “I don’t like sitting on my ass all day long, either.”

“Don’t tell me to calm down! You should have fucking told me!” She clenches her fists.

He ignores her outburst and continues like nothing happened. “I’m not going to apologize. You needed time to rest, and I gave you some. Now, don’t interrupt me. You need to hear the whole story, first. Only then you can yell at me if you still want to.”

She crosses her arms over her chest and remains silent, so he goes on.

“I don’t know who sent it. I don’t know why it was sent to me either, but it was clearly meant to reach you. The only explanation I have is that whoever sent this feared SAM could track it down. And they obviously thought you were with me on Kadara, not on Eos… But I cannot figure out why I received it on my Resistance email address. I haven’t used it in a very long time… and that doesn’t make sense.”

He sighs. “That’s a classified info, only the Resistance has access to it. I’m a trader, everybody knows how to contact me or the Collective on Kadara, so why bother emailing me via a Resistance canal? I don’t see the point.”

Her arms still crossed, Sara starts pacing up and down.

“Listen, I don’t know who those guys are, but they seem pretty confident,” Reyes goes on after a short break. “I checked, the message was sent at the same time the artifact was stolen. I received that email only 4 minutes after you were shot... And we discovered that it wasn’t sent from Eos. Nor from Voeld, for that matter. It was sent through a space relay, and we cannot trace it further.”

She swiftly raises her head to look at him. “Wait. You said ‘we’. Who’s that, exactly?”

“Hey, you promised not to cut me off–”

“I said no such thing,” she interrupts him again, “and I’m not cutting you off. I’m only asking a question. Answer me.”

He hesitates, but she's inflexible. “I know Scotts' involved, Reyes. I saw the two of you this morning. You’d better tell me everything or I’ll take the Nomad and leave you here by yourself. Last chance.”

The tone of her voice tells him that she’s not joking and that trying to avoid her question would only make her even more upset.

He doesn’t really have a choice.

“That’s the other thing I need to explain to you. The night after your attack, while you were asleep, I went out and broke into the science lab. With Harper and Scott. And… SAM.”

Reyes can tell from the look on her face that she wasn’t expecting that. “He was the only one who could help me, and he wanted to help you, too. He offered his assistance, and to be honest you should thank him. Having an AI is definitively useful.”

He’s unable to repress a brief and contented smirk but quickly goes on before she can say anything. “Anyway. We went inside, and we found footprints on the floor. Sara… they were not kett footprints. They belonged to angara, without any doubt. We also found the datapad of the scientist and copied the data it contained. SAM will send it to you. But everything points in direction of the angara.”

 

Sara remains pensive, the first shock of these revelations slowly fading as she reflects on what he just said.

“I’m going to ignore the fact that the three of you allied and plotted with SAM behind my back… for now.” She throws him a dark look when she finally stops pacing.

“Hey, don’t be mad.” He gently grabs her wrist. “We did not plot behind your back, we were trying to help. And we found ourselves… on a common ground, strictly and figuratively speaking. Besides… you didn’t tell me about the vid, either. Can we say we’re even?”

She mutters to herself and overlooks his question. “Kett must be involved. Why would angara speak kett language? It doesn’t make sense, either.”

“You heard them talking? On the vid?”

She nods.

“What did they say?”

She shrugs her shoulders and painfully closes her eyelids. “They were speaking Tonaizhet. One of them checked if I was still alive, and he had a needle in his hand.”

He pulls her closer, attempting to soothe her. “Did you learn anything else?”

“No.” She shakes her head with disappointment and immediately frees herself from his embrace. “And what about those coordinates? Did you find something?”

“It leads to a location on Voeld, in the Southern Hemisphere, far away from all Resistance bases. Sara… this area is completely deserted. There’s no way of knowing what or who’s there. And I don’t like that.”

 

She walks in circles around him again, considering all the implications of what she learned, and Reyes silently watches her, waiting for her reaction.

After a while, she stops and glances one last time at the view below. He never witnessed such determination hardening on her face.

“OK. You’re gonna need a new armor.”

He smiles. But he has to ask, just to be sure. “… What for?”

She heads for the Nomad and motions him to follow her. “Because you won’t survive 5 minutes to Voeld’s temperatures in that shitty armor of yours, Reyes… and I need a chauffeur.”


	9. Blue moon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The one with the cave

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another splendid cover by [ @seokanori ](https://seokanori.tumblr.com/). How blessed am I?? Really, I’m in awe. This pic is PERFECT. Flawless. I love it to bits :D

 

“Mm, something’s not right…” Gil takes a step back. “I can’t get this piece to fit properly. Move your arm, would you?”

Reyes complies with an irritated sigh. “I thought Initiative armors were supposed to be of the finest quality in the whole galaxy? Hurry up, damnit. It’s fucking heavy, and it’s freaking hot inside this thing.”

He shifts uncomfortably from one foot to the other, still trying to get used to the feeling of wearing such a heavy armor. This is very different from the flight suit he’s used to, and he needs a moment to adjust to the weight.

Sara chuckles in his back. “You’ll be glad to have it given where we’re going, believe me. Stop whining and let the man do his job. The less you complain, the faster he gets it done.”

Reyes glances at her over his shoulder. “I know you’re enjoying this. You love to see me suffering.”

“Of course, I enjoy it. Don’t be so delicate, Reyes.”

She jumps down the crate she was sitting on and playfully slaps his butt before joining Gil in front of him. She leans an elbow on her friend’s shoulder to look at Reyes, admiring him with a mischievous smile on her lips.

“It suits you, though. Especially that rear view… that’s some fine ass you got inside, I’m telling you.”

She ignores the wild grin Reyes gives her and turns to Gil. “Good job, my friend.”

The engineer returns her broad smile. “You know me, Ryder. Always happy to help whenever fine asses are involved.”

They both roar out laughing, and Reyes can’t help but join them. Actually, he barely hides his amusement. It feels so good to hear her having fun and laughing again, even if he’s the target of their cheerful banter. He doesn’t really mind.

 

Since he confessed the truth about his investigation and the help of SAM and Sara’s teammates, Reyes witnessed her coming back to life. As if, now that she finally had a purpose and a new direction to follow, she could be herself again. As if she was allowed to tease again, to enjoy being with him, to think about pleasant things.

Their conversation liberated something inside her. It also unleashed a steely determination in her eyes, a sheer grit to get some closure.

Not all pain is gone, though. He sees it in her stare from time to time, just like he sees it in his own eyes in the mirror. But he gave her a goal, a task to focus on, and she regained both confidence and happiness.

Watching her joking around and having fun is the best reward he could ever get, and the ache in his chest is somehow alleviated. Every time he looks at her, he knows that he made the right choice when he came to Eos. His place is by her side, no matter what he left behind. His own problems can wait.

 

He clears his throat once they’re done laughing.

“Jokes aside, could you go back to fixing this thing, now?” Reyes shakes a hand in front of Gil, who regains his composure and grabs a small gyroscopic screwdriver.

“Alright. Let’s get this done. It won’t take long, don’t worry.” Gil motions him to raise his arm once again. “But you should know that this armor is of the finest quality you could find in this galaxy. And from what I understood, you’re getting this brand-new and fancy equipment for free, at Initiative’s expense… You could show a bit more gratitude, man.”

“Don’t call me ‘man’.” Reyes’ eyes meet Sara’s, and they smile at each other.

When he realizes that none of them is going to say anything, Gil’s curiosity becomes more insistent. “Seriously, Ryder… how am I supposed to justify the expense?”

“Don’t worry about that. I’ll deal with it.”

“You’re not answering my question. You really don’t want to tell me what it’s for?”

Sara glances one more time at Reyes before looking back at her friend. “Believe me, it’s better if you don’t know.”

The engineer exhales in annoyance. “At least tell me where you’re going? … If anything goes south, I’ll make sure the Tempest is ready to come to your rescue.”

“That won’t be necessary,” Sara discards his question. “Are you done?”

Gil backs away. “Yes. That should do it. Move around a bit, will you Reyes?”

He complies, feeling the inner motors inside his armor efficiently working with each of his moves and improving each of his movements. Despite the weight on his shoulders, it’s surprisingly easy to move and walk. A wide smile appears on his face as he paces back and forth along the cargo bay, more comfortable with each step he takes.

Gil seems delighted to see his expression. “Yeah, I know that look. It means that it’s working. How do you feel?”

Reyes grabs the gun in his back and pulls it out as naturally as if he had done this his entire life. “Great. It feels great.”

Satisfied, Gil puts his tools away and turns to Sara. “Perfect then, my job here is done. When do you leave?”

“ASAP. Thanks, Gil. You’re the best.” Sara pokes his ribs. “And remember: if anyone asks, Reyes and I are going to Kadara, ok?”

Gil winks knowingly before leaving them alone. “Of course, Ryder. Where else would you go?”

 

When he’s gone, Reyes gets closer to her. He looks very serious all of a sudden. “Are you sure you want to do this, Sara? It’s still time to change your mind if you’re not up for it.”

“No. I’m fine.”

He stares at her, not fully convinced, and Sara rolls her eyes before going on. “Lexi released me from bed rest. All my blood tests results came back negative and I’m officially cleared for traveling. I’m fine.”

“If you say so.” Reyes insists no more. He knows nothing could talk her out of it, anyway.

She pensively chews on her lips for a second. “Is everything ready?”

“Yes. We’re good to go.”

“Perfect. So… I guess we only have to discreetly put this fancy armor in the shuttle, say goodbye to everyone and pretend we’re going back home. We should be back to Kadara before anyone notices anything.”

“Sounds like a good plan. Let’s stick to it.” Reyes reassures her with one last kiss, dismissing and drowning his own concerns in her breath.

He’s aware that so many things could go wrong, but he chooses to ignore the little voice in his head begging for caution. He ignores it as they exit the Tempest together, hand in hand. He ignores it as they load the crate containing his new armor into the shuttle, and yet when they get inside after one last check-up of their equipment.

Once they’ve fastened their seatbelts, he looks at her with grave eyes.

Her fingers squeeze the armrests of her seat and her lips refuse to part, for she is too tense. But an unstoppable determination grows in her stare, and once again, he knows that they’re doing the right thing.

Without taking his eyes off of hers, he commands his pilot to take off.

 

First minutes of the trip are tense, and neither of them says a word. But, as soon as they leave Eos’ atmosphere and enter the darkness of outer space, Reyes gets up from his seat and glances at Sara. She nods approvingly in response to his mute question, and he motions his pilot to step aside and to switch places with him.

“I’ll take the commands for the rest of the trip.”

“… Sir?” The man obeys immediately, despite his perplexed glare.

“We’re not going to Kadara.” Reyes buckles up in the pilot seat and turns to the console panel in front of him, pressing on several buttons. “SAM? You know what to do. Enter the coordinates and make sure we stay under the radar.”

“Yes, Mr. Vidal. Coordinates entered. ETA 18 hours and 46 minutes.”

Reyes settles more comfortably in his seat and tries to relax.

It is going to be a long trip.

 

*** 

 

For more than half an hour they’ve been flying over white and deserted mountains, with nothing to see but ice and snow as far as eyes can see.

They geared up right after entering Voeld’s atmosphere and put on full armor. Sara scraped off all Initiative insignias from her Hyperguardian armor and, with her helmet on, she’s unidentifiable. They left the habitations of the last daar behind them and headed straight for the coordinates of the rendezvous, away from all traces of civilization.

Reyes can’t recall ever seeing so much ice. He’s used to the emptiness and coldness of outer space, but this is totally different. The whole area seems caught in a perennial permafrost that forbids any living creature to come to these lands. Everything is frozen on the ground beneath them, from gigantic rocks to even more gigantic oceans of ice, covering this entire part of the planet.

All this cold burns his eyes and dries his throat just by looking at it.

 

As they near the navpoint, night begins to fall and makes it difficult for them to spot anything on the ground. Scans don’t pick up any form of life and all monitors remain blank. The area is completely empty, and they fly over many glacial pikes, without results. They go past the exact coordinates, and Reyes turns around to fly over one more time.

But there’s absolutely nothing to be seen. The white snow covering the flanks of the mountains slowly becomes greyer, and night progresses fast over the ground. Dusk falls on them quicker than he’d have thought, and Reyes maneuvers his shuttle with extra caution. He gets closer to the cliffs, squinting his eyes and desperately trying to spot something in the growing darkness.

Sara wriggles in her seat and points to their left. “There!”

White fumaroles erupt from the eastern side of the mountain, its silver vapor clearly visible in the dim twilight. It’s the only activity in the area, and Reyes steers the shuttle in that direction.

A vast flat-topped land appears before them. But scans are still silent as they fly over the naturally formed plateau plunged in the dark.

“There must be hundreds of caves underneath those mountains… We need to find the entrance.” Sara sounds like she’s talking to herself. “But this looks like a perfect landing site.”

“Well, there’s only one way to find out…” With dexterity, Reyes gets closer and, a few minutes later, they land safely on the ground.

Sara doesn’t even wait for the shuttle to fully stabilize to stand up on her feet, eager and impatient to get out. She jumps in the snow the second the door opens. “Let’s get to it.”

“Stay here, and be ready for an emergency take-off, just in case," Reyes commands his pilot. "And maintain radio contact, alright?”

And without waiting for an answer, he hops after her in the cold.

 

Walking in the snow is harder than he would have thought, even with his new set of armor, and he tries to step as much as possible inside Sara’s footprints, leading the way ahead of him. But soon he’s already panting, and she has to wait for him.

Reyes joins her at the bottom of a steep slope. Night has fallen by now, but as he looks up he’s surprised to see a blue light emerging from above the mountain.

“Have you seen that?”

“Yes. The blue moon is rising,” Sara practically whispers. “I think it shows us the way…”

They glance at each other, and he feels her resolve strengthening when she goes on. “We’ll probably see it from up that cliff. SAM detected a network of connected caves. The entrance should be this way.”

“Let’s go, then.” Reyes quickly agrees and climbs the slope after her, trying to follow her pace despite his pounding heart.

Once they reach the top, they stop as one. They’re both astonished by the view offered to them, silenced for a moment by their amazement at the breathtaking sight.

 

Another plateau lies in front of them, resting in the blue light of the gigantic moon above their heads. Whatever optical illusion the mountains trick on them, the moon seems so close that they could almost touch it with the reach of an arm. Its round, azure shape engulfs the whole site in its ethereal light and transforms the snow at their feet in a cobalt sea of dancing gleams.

And, straight under the blue circle in the sky, a huge and massive cavern opens a wide mouth, gloomy and terrifying in contrast with the brightness displayed by the moon.

Sara’s hand unconsciously searches for his, baffled by the majesty of their surroundings. “Looks like we found the place.” 

Reyes wordlessly agrees, incapable to take his eyes off the scenery. He’s stunned by the magical beauty of the place; and yet, a pulsing threat urges in his chest every time he lays eyes on the intimidating entrance of the cave. Its shadow is both appealing and menacing, and an ominous warning echoes once again in his mind.

The pressure on his fingers increases after a short while, in a secret signal that instantly pulls him out of his trance and puts him into motion. They walk together toward the cave, fingers tightly laced.

 

Their hands part as Sara and Reyes enter the obscurity of the cavern. They both hold their breath, looking around and searching for any sign of recent activity. But the silent cave reverberates only their own footsteps, along with their breathing in the comms. Their helmet-mounted flashlights reveal a clear path among the many rocks captured within the ice, a trail of compacted snow on the ground leading further into the darkness. Reyes grabs his gun and holds it tight, even if no footprints are visible on the floor.

Sara imitates him with haste before checking her omnitool once more. “SAM? Let us know if you detect any vital signs in the surroundings, alright?”

“Of course, Pathfinder. There are no signs of enemies nearby at the moment,” the AI answers immediately. “However, the deeper into the mountain you get, the least I’ll be able to provide accurate reports on the surroundings. The thick layer of rock above you prevents me from performing an exhaustive and precise analysis.”

“It’s duly noted, SAM. Just… do your best.”

They waste no time and walk to the bottom of the cave, where they face three corridors splitting in different directions. The underground tunnels have been dug directly in the ice, and they seem to lead into the depths of the mountain.

“I don’t like that.” Reyes frowns while inspecting the walls of the tunnels. “It looks like this could collapse at any minute.”

“I don’t like that either. But we can’t turn around now… And we gotta start somewhere.” Without further ado, Sara heads straight for the first tunnel on their right.

They follow the narrow corridor for about half a mile. It brings them deeper and deeper underground until they’re forced to stop, giant dripstones and stalagmites blocking their way. The thick icicle deposits have completely overwhelmed the place over the years, and Sara curses out loud.

“Shit. This is a dead end…” She motions Reyes to go back to where they started.

 

The second tunnel is clear, at least, and zig-zags all the way. After several minutes of turning successively right and left, a sudden curve leads them to a smaller, round cave plunged into the dark. Reyes collides with Sara, who stopped after a couple of steps inside the ice-shaped room.

She jumps in surprise when the blurry face of an angara appears in the light of her flashlight. It scared the hell out of her and she almost fired her gun, but she realizes that the angara has been dead for a long time, trapped within a thick layer of ice.

“This is so macabre,” she whispers, her flashlight going around in circles and revealing dozens of dead bodies all around them, prisoners of the ice and perfectly preserved.

“What is this place? A mortuary?” Reyes asks in a murmur, as if afraid to wake up the dead with the sound of his voice. He looks around him, his flashlight casting a bright light on the walls of the cave and exposing more angaran bodies imprisoned by the cold in various states of injuries and decomposition.

Some were killed violently and still wear the apparent stigmata of their suffering, their faces twisted in agony and their limbs scarcely attached to their torsos. Others, on the contrary, don’t seem to have been wounded at all, and they rest almost in peace with arms crossed over their chests, heads down and eyes closed. Everywhere on the ground and walls, frozen bloody stains remain, in a vivid and painful memory of whatever atrocities happened in here.

“This is a kett facility. An experimental lab, probably for studying biological data.” Sara bends down to grab a piece of equipment on the floor and shows it to him. “This is what they use to experiment on foreign people. I’ve seen this before. Other facilities… quite not like this one, though.”

The revulsion in her voice is blatant, and she lets go of the equipment on the floor with obvious disgust. “But nobody came here in a very long time. Whatever they were doing in here, they abandoned it long ago and took everything of interest with them.”

“Except for the bodies…” Reyes keeps looking around as Sara scans every corner of the room.

After a while, she turns off her omnitool with a resigned sigh. “Whatever this place was, what we’re looking for is not here.”

“No, but we’re getting closer. There’s only one more tunnel… and we still don’t know what or who’s waiting for us.”

“If they wanted to kill us, they would have done it already. They would have tried, at least.” Weak confidence fills Sara’s voice.   

“Sure…” Reyes utters that to reassure himself, but his tone is only half-convincing, even to himself.

Sara’s expression hardens. “Let’s find that out.”

 

The last tunnel is more confined than the other two, and it shrinks even more after a few meters. Reyes has to hunch his shoulders, and soon Sara’s head hits on the ice roof, too. None of them says a word when the walls of the tunnel continue to close in on them, reducing the space allowed for their progression to the strict minimum. They make their way in the narrowing passage, half-walking, half-crawling.

Their bodies temperature, coupled to the hot steam produced by their breathing, is causing the ice to melt around them. Water runs on the constricted walls, and large drops fall from the ceiling onto their armors, with a sinister and splashy sound. Sara shivers unconsciously. But something pulls her further ahead, a relentless conviction that what they came for is in front of them. Resolve grows with each of her moves, despite her panting breath. She ignores Reyes’ loud wheezing in her back and proceeds forward, using both her legs and arms.

She doesn’t know how long they keep on progressing this way. After what seems like an eternity, their silent creeping is interrupted when the tunnel abruptly expands into another large, round cave, completely empty and deserted. As she gets on her feet and looks up, she notices the ceiling is so high that her flashlight can’t pierce the shadows to reveal it. The place is filled with hundreds of unknown noises, as if hushed murmurs were responding to the dropping water along the walls.

She represses another violent shudder and helps Reyes to stand up.

The dim haze of her flashlight searches the ground and unravels melted ice on the floor, indicating a recent passage. The trail leads to the furthest side of the cavern, into the darkness.

Reyes sees it, too, and holds once more the gun he was forced to put away while crawling in the tunnel. “Careful. We might not be alone.”

Sara nods briskly and scans the perimeter. The traces on the floor are unidentifiable, and there’s no way of telling who or what left it. But something was here not so long ago, that’s for sure.  

“SAM? Any signs of another presence nearby?” Sara realizes that she’s whispering, even if the conversation is being held on private comms. But she couldn’t help it.

“No, Pathfinder. Not that I can detect.”

She points her omnitool to the floor before proceeding forward, following the trail of melted ice and checking the ground for eventual traps as she cautiously walks into the darkness, Reyes at her heels. But nothing disrupts their progression. They cross the cave and reach the other side without incident. There, her flashlight reveals an arched niche cut into the icy wall, that oddly resembles a small chapel of some sort.

On this altar of ice, lies a datapad. And the kett artifact, split open in two parts.

A muffled scream escapes Sara's throat when she recognizes it, and she hurries to climb the two steps leading to the frozen alcove, careless of Reyes’ warning in her back.

“Sara, wait! It could be a trap!”

She lays incredulous eyes on the tech. The kett metal alloy of the oval item shines with fascinating glows under the light of her helmet lamp, but she’s more interested in the two parts of what previously looked like a big grenade and that is now wide open. Inside, a protective cushion fills both halves, its hard material outlining the shape of what it used to contain.  

The shape of a syringe.

 

She holds out a trembling hand in direction of the tech, but Reyes’ firm fingers lock onto her wrist before she can reach it.

“No. Don’t touch it. Last time, it triggered something. We certainly don’t want that.”

“But there was a needle in–”

“I know.” He fastens his grip on her, his imperious stare leaving her no choice.

Powerless, Sara watches anxiously as he gets closer and grabs the equipment. She almost expects something to happen and instinctively ducks her head, but the cave remains undisturbed. She breathes out loudly and realizes how tense she actually was when she hears the long, relieved exhalation coming out of her lungs.

Reyes briefly examines the tech before closing it with a dull sound. He points to the datapad. “What is that?”

She takes it and turns it on without delay. The screen flickers for a second before displaying pages and pages of undecipherable lines of code. As far as she can tell, this is an endless succession of capital letters with absolutely no sense. She scrolls down the first pages, all filled with the same letters again and again. Reyes reads attentively the data over her shoulder, and she feels him frowning next to her.

“It looks like… some genetic codes,” he finally mutters reluctantly.

“How would you know that? You’re an expert in genetics, now?”

“No. But I’ve seen such lines of code before…” He quickly goes on when he sees her questioning glare. “I’ve recently come across similar data… for a Collective matter.”

SAM confirms his assessment. “It is indeed a collection of genetic codes, Ryder. Thousands of DNAs seem to be have been collected and randomly gathered, with no evident organization. The list goes on for 5,847 pages.”

“That is a lot of data…” Sara’s slowly registering the information, still fighting the disappointment of finding the tech empty.

“Well, that explains the lab we found earlier… The kett were experimenting on genetics. That’s not really surprising, given… you know, kett habits.”

“If I may, Mr. Vidal, it is likely that they were working on genetic recombination, to be precise. After processing the data and with a proper study, I should be able to figure out exactly what they were seeking to achieve.”

“So, we came all this way just to find an empty shell and some mysterious data? It doesn’t make sense.” Sara barely hides the frustration in her voice and clenches her fists in anger.

“Someone wanted you to find this. We’ll process the information later, but SAM is right. There’s not much more we can do in here. Let’s take all this and get the hell out of this forsaken place, Sara.”

She sighs loudly and looks around. “More questions, and still no answers…”

With a resigned stare, she heads back to where they came from.

 

When they exit the cave, they realize they lost track of time while they were inside. The blue moon is now high in the sky, much smaller in comparison with earlier. The entire world has gone black, but for the sparkling starlight reflecting on the snowy ground.

The roaring of shuttles passing above them suddenly disturbs the silent night. Sara raises her head and looks up, but she cannot spot anything in the dark.

Reyes, on the other hand, immediately recognizes the distinct sound of the engines, for he heard it too many times before. He instantly knows that those are kett shuttles. He counts 5 of them, at the very least. That makes a lot of kett.

As they land next to the location of his own shuttle, Reyes has no chance to wonder about his pilot who stayed inside. The brutal noise of gunshots fills the air, and he knows it’s too late to rescue the man. He hides behind a nearby rock, just in time to avoid the first shoots aiming right for his head.

A second later, Sara joins him and takes cover next to him, cursing out loud. “Fuck! It was a trap.”

“I told you.” He couldn’t help the irony, despite their precarious situation. “There’s always a trap, Sara.”

She looks at him, and even through the visor of her helmet he can see that she winces and sticks out her tongue with an exasperated face. “And I had told you that kett were involved… But we’ll have plenty of occasions for the ‘I told you so’ speech once those kett are dead, Reyes. Now, shoot!”

She doesn’t need to say it twice. They get out of their shelter as one, Reyes on the right and Sara on the left side of the rock, and they both start firing at the incoming kett.

They have fought side by side before, and they easily settle into a natural and steady rhythm, perfectly coordinated and synchronized. They rely on each other to alternatively take cover when their guns run out of ammo, and each of their shots reaches its target. The kett’s progression is slowed by their organized attack, and it feels like working with a lifelong partner, with complete and mutual trust.

They’d be amazed, if only they had the chance to catch a break.

But there is no time to think. Kett are everywhere, and the fierce battle overwhelms all of their senses.

 

_Aim, shoot, reload._

“More are coming!” Sara shouts before ducking behind the rock to recharge her assault rifle.

 _Aim, shoot, reload_.

“Mr. Vidal, on your right. A Destined is trying to circle your position.” SAM joins the fight and warns him through the comm.

Reyes empties his gun in the indicated direction, rewarded by cries of pain. The cloaked kett appears out of nowhere and collapses on the ground, dead as a doornail.

 _Aim, shoot, reload_.  _Aim, shoot, reload_.

 

It’s endless. Bullets ricochet on the hard shell of Reyes' black armor, leaving multiple dents on the plates of his torso and arms. His protection absorbs most of the shocks, but one lucky shot hits right into the armor joints, between his shoulder and chest.

The force of the impact causes him to lose his balance. He’s projected backward and falls on his back on the ground.

“Reyes!” Sara’s frightened scream momentarily covers the sounds of the battle.

He has to fight in order to stay lucid, white dots blurring his vision for a second. Sara’s biotics get into action, and she generates a powerful mass effect field to protect both of them while she drags him behind the rock. "Are you alright?"

"Yes. Don't worry about me."

She swears out loud. “Shit. They’re too many, we can’t hold them back!”

Her breathing shortens. More and more kett are climbing up the slope. At least a dozen Anointed soldiers and even more Chosens are nearing their location, from what she can see. She’s awfully aware that they’ll soon be surrounded.

She looks behind her, trying to assess the distance they would have to cover in order to reach the entrance of the cave. She knows it’s too far away, and too risky. They’d be easy targets for the kett, and their armor shields will never hold long enough to allow them to safety. They're trapped.

But there’s no way she’s going to give up.

 

As she urgently searches for another solution, a monstrous shadow passes over them. Sara’s struck by the increasing darkness of their surroundings and she cocks her head, expecting to see more enemy shuttles gathering. But instead, she’s stunned to see that the whole moon is eclipsed by a gloomy and giant cloud that briefly hovers high in the sky.

Electricity bursts on her skin, wild flames tickling her fingertips with unexpected blue energy that she cannot control. The shadow grows and passes by the blue moon, and she realizes it has a tail.

With dawning horror, she understands what’s going on.

Her hand reaches for Reyes’ with desperate urge. Her wide eyes turn to him, and fear fills her voice when she whispers. “Run, Reyes... Run, it’s an Architect!”

She lunges forward, dragging him behind her.

 

They run like they have never run before, sprinting toward the cave. The shootings in their back haven’t stopped, but they seem to be aimed at the new threat. They safely reach the entrance of the cavern and hide behind a nearby boulder, panting but unharmed.

And they mutely witness the chaos that descends from the sky and plunges their world into destruction and violence.

The Architect lands on the ground on the plateau below them with a terrifying and crashing sound of metal against rocks, and they feel the earth shaking under their feet. Large cracks run along the thick layer of ice, and some kett disappear inside the chasms created by the arrival of the mechanic beast. Observers and Nullifiers proliferate out of thin air, invading the area. The snow reddens, and agonizing screams break the atmosphere as more kett are brought down by the deathly attacks of the Architect and its platoon of numerous remnant bots.

Within a couple of minutes, all kett are eradicated, and the battle is over. As soon as the last death rattle fades away, all remnant units on the ground immediately stop moving and freeze on the spot, powerless and disabled.

 

An irrepressible impulse pulls Sara out of her shelter. She doesn’t know exactly what she’s doing, and she hardly hears Reyes’ alarmed shouts as she bravely walks among the inactive remnant soldiers and nears the massive shadow of the Architect. It seems to be waiting for her, still grounded down the slope they climb earlier.

The Architect turns to Sara, casting on her its threatening shadow. She holds her breath, but something in her guts whispers with insistence that she has nothing to fear. It won’t harm her.

And she was right. For a moment, she feels as if the colossal remnant is trying to tell her something. The red and blue lights of its open core glow repeatedly in her direction, with short and almost friendly beeps. Sara hears Reyes cautiously nearing her location, but she’s too mesmerized by her contemplation to take her eyes off the Architect.

Suddenly, as fast as it came, the Architect takes off, wrapping them in a sweeping and violent storm of wind and ice that makes them both fall onto their knees. In the blink of an eye, the only proof of its former presence are the dead bodies that remain on the ground, covering the snow with red and shrinking patterns, and the profound traces left in the ice, that look like giant craters compared to the size of the mutilated cadavers scattered around the snowy plateau.

 

They’re startled by the abrupt and overwhelming silence of the mountains, which sounds so odd after the raging battle that erupted only moments ago. Speechless, they look at the chaos lying at their feet, at the dozens of kett corpses and Reyes’ squashed shuttle down below.

It’s been shred to pieces when the Architect came down, crashing it instantly under the formidable force of its landing. Reyes stares at it with disbelief for a few seconds. Finally, he shakes his head and sighs resignedly. He gets up on his feet and holds out his hand to Sara to help her.

“That was a lot of fun, but let me be clear, Sara.” A wild smile runs upon his face. “You owe me a shuttle...”

She bursts out laughing, relief filling her voice with warm and vibrant vibes, and Reyes smiles to hear her.

He closes his eyes, the rush of adrenaline slowly evacuating his body.

_Hell, it’s good to be alive._


	10. It's all in the genes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The one where she has a plan

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As usual, a huge thank you to my amazing and wonderful friend [ @seokanori ](https://seokanori.tumblr.com/) for another beautiful cover!
> 
> And also, I’d like to apologize for the delay in posting this chapter. But I’ll finish this story, that’s a promise ;) With this chapter, we are halfway through. Thank you all for still bearing with me!!

 

As the heat and excitement triggered by the battle fade away, Reyes feels a sudden exhaustion gaining his whole body and mind. An excruciating pain awakes in his right shoulder, and he winces as he takes an unsteady step back.

Sara helps him rest on a nearby rock, the very same rock they hid behind a few minutes ago. He sits with relief, trying to ignore Sara’s increasing concern and his pounding heart in his chest.

She motions him to stay put. “You’re hurt. Let me take a look.”

“No, no. I’m fine.” Despite his protest, he hisses sharply when she unlocks the safety clips of his armor.

A biting cold crawls through the damaged joints and pierces his chest with countless frozen knives, but he manages to remain silent. He grits his teeth while Sara carefully takes off the part covering his arm with gentleness, and she frowns to see the pain in his eyes. The whole shoulder plate is ruined, and she tosses it on the icy ground. That was one damn lucky shot, which hit right on the weak junction Gil fixed before their departure. The impact left a wide dent printed on the plate, making it completely useless.

Sara rolls up the sleeve of his protective suit with caution in order to assess the damage. A large and swollen bruise is already spreading to his biceps and chest, covering his skin with purple and dark patterns.

“Shit, Reyes. It must hurt like hell… Don’t move. I have medigel.” She takes off her glove to grab the first-aid kit hidden in a small cache of her armor, glad that she didn’t forget to pack some.

“Medigel won’t help, keep it. I’ll be fine. It’s only a bruise.” Reyes snaps his tongue when he stubbornly tries to get on his feet, fighting the dizziness that threatens to overwhelm him. He feels like a fiend stamped off his chest and used it as a carpet.

Sara’s not fooled. She presses soft yet firm hands on his shoulders. “That’s one nasty bruise… you need medical attention. There’s not much I can do here, but at least the gel will stop it from spreading and diminish the pain. It will also protect you from the cold.”

He lets her proceed without further protest, welcoming with mute gratitude the temporary relief induced by the anesthetic agent. He relaxes a bit once she’s done applying the salve, grateful for the warm feeling now invading and numbing his skin, even if he can’t help his hands from trembling.

He smiles poorly to reassure her, but Sara’s concern not eased. “You’re shaking. You could be in shock.”

“I’m not. I’ve seen worse, you know. And I feel better already.”

He finally manages to keep his balance and stands up next to her to prove his point. He puts his sleeve back in place with difficulty. “Don’t worry about me. I’m more worried that we both freeze to death, to be honest. We need to get away from this place.”

Sara stares at him for a few seconds, biting her lower lip with anxiety, then lifts her head to the sky. The blue moon has shrunk to the size of a bright and colored dot drowned in a constellation of fading stars, and the first rays of sunshine have already started their perennial battle against the dark shadows of the mountain peaks.

A new day is rising, but the thought doesn’t bring her any comfort. Not like it used to.

 

She shakes her head to get rid of the disturbing feeling. “Dawn will break soon… but I doubt it will get warmer in here.”

“It probably won’t.” Reyes sighs resignedly and raises his left arm to turn on his omnitool, but Sara interrupts him.

“What are you doing?”

“Calling my Resistance contacts on Voeld. Someone has to come and pick us up.”

“No.” She resolutely grabs his wrist to prevent him from making his call. “I refuse to involve the angara, it’s too risky. We don’t know who’s behind all this.”

“Sara… the Resistance already knows that something happened here. Someone must have noticed the Architect landing in the middle of the mountains. Whether I call them or not, someone is bound to come here.”

“All the more reasons to get away before they come. The angara cannot be trusted, and we have to face the fact that some of them could be willingly working for the kett.”

“Well, it wouldn’t be the first time… remember Vehn Terev?”

A tiny smile spreads over her face for a second. “Of course, I remember. That’s how we met.”

The pressure of her fingers on his wrist slightly increases, but she quickly lets go of his hand and goes on. “We’re in a completely different situation, though. With Vehn, we knew who the enemy was. But now, we have to consider every option. And I repeat, we cannot trust the angara.”

“Alright,” Reyes sighs, “what do you propose we do, then? I assume you have a plan?”

Her glance falls down on the plateau lying at their feet, and a smirk flickers across her lips. “You said you wanted a shuttle… I think I found you one.”

Reyes follows her gaze and looks with astonishment at the devastation caused by the arrival of the Architect. Among the debris scattered around the area, he spots one of the kett shuttles, which landed a bit further from the others. It seems intact, and he instantly understands.

“Sara, you can’t be serious.”

“I certainly am.”

He grabs his forehead in his hand. “You gotta be kidding me. You really want me to fly a kett shuttle?”

“Could you do it?”

He shrugs, repressing a wince when a sharp spike of pain awakes in his shoulder. “Yes… But that’s not the point. We’ll be easy targets if ever the Resistance spots us, not to mention the Architect. It could attack us.”

SAM’s voice comes in both their comms. “Scans report that the Architect retreated to Voeld’s orbit and went back into standby mode. There are no legitimate reasons to believe that it will ever get out of its lethargy again. What happened earlier remains inexplicable.”

“So, you have no clue about what happened? Why it didn’t attack us?”

“Not yet, Pathfinder. I can only assume that whatever took control of the Architect didn’t want you hurt, but this is only a rhetorical assessment. Studying the data and the device you found in the cave could enlighten us but for that, I need access to my node. I’m afraid my processors are currently unable to function at the best of my capabilities.”

Sara turns to Reyes. “We need to study this tech ASAP. You heard him, Reyes. We can’t risk anyone seeing us here, we need to go now. That’s the only way. Unless you prefer walking?”

She heads toward the kett shuttle without waiting for his answer. Reyes reluctantly follows her after a few seconds, grabbing his painful shoulder in his hand.

“And where are we supposed to go with a kett shuttle? Maybe we should land in the middle of the outpost, or directly on the Nexus, why not? I’m sure Tann will be pleased to learn all about our little trip and what we’re doing here exactly, investigating a case you were explicitly forbidden to look into while retaining information from the Initiative…”

Even from behind, he can see that she rolls her eyes to the sky.

“Don’t be so dramatic, Reyes. We just need to get down the mountain. SAM will find us a nice and discreet place to land not far away from the outpost. I’ll ask the Tempest to dock at Taerve Uni, and my crew will pick us up with the Nomad.”

Sara stops suddenly and faces him. “I’ll handle Tann if it comes to that. The Tempest was supposed to return to the Nexus in a couple of days, so it shouldn’t raise too many questions if she leaves Eos. And even if it does… I couldn’t care less about Tann’s opinion. The Tempest is my ship, and she’ll go wherever I tell her to.”

The cold resolution in her voice could stab the salarian bureaucrat even at this distance, and Reyes can’t help but smile.

He’s slowly starting to realize that her mind is already made, no matter what he says. He closes his eyes as if it could make the throbbing pain in his chest disappear. They’ll be warmer inside the shuttle for a while, at least. That’s their best option, Sara’s right.

Her stare is fixed on him when he reopens his eyes, and he nods in agreement. “Tell SAM to call the Tempest. And to tell them to hurry.”

Once it’s done, Sara smiles poorly to him, an apology on her lips. “Look, I’m sorry to put you through all that. We can drop you on Kadara if you want. I know you didn’t sign up for this…”

Reyes immediately silences her scruples, with a hint of humor and a roguish smile that sounds much confident than what he really feels inside. But he refuses to show it.

“I told you, I’ll be fine. That’s exactly how I’ve always imagined my first holiday with you, anyway. Lost in the emptiness and coldness of snowy mountains, about to go for a wild and dangerous trip. That’s both exciting and romantic, don’t you think?”

He cups her chin with his valid hand. “I chose to come with you, Sara. Don’t apologize, it’s not your fault. And I ain’t leaving you, so let’s get moving.”

 

Inside the shuttle, the smell is repulsive. The body of the kett pilot blocks the way to the cabin, and they have to get rid of it so that Reyes can reach the command panel. As he sits in the pilot seat, Sara manually closes the door and looks around.

“It should get warmer soon, I hope.”

Reyes curses in her back. “I wouldn’t be so sure about that. Shit, commands don’t answer.”

She joins him in the cabin. “Why? Has the shuttle been damaged?”

“No, I don’t think so. I don’t know, there must be a security, a safety lock or something. There’s enough power, but the engine won’t start.”

Sara frowns. “SAM? Any idea?”

“Perhaps that manually rebooting the system could help, Pathfinder. The red button on your right.”

As soon as she presses on it, the control panel lights up and the satisfying noise of the motor starting up fills the compartment. Sara laughs out loud.

“Damn, Reyes. Do you have any idea of what you’re doing, at least?”

“Of course. That’s the first thing I tried, what do you think?” He seems vexed and looks at the commands, bewildered. “It wasn’t working when I pushed it.”

“It’s working, now. Let’s get out of here, okay?”

“The sooner the better,” he grumbles to himself. With one last, impatient glance around at the desolated plateau, he takes off and steers the shuttle far away from this forsaken place.

 

They reach the landing site SAM indicated without difficulty, about 30 miles from the outpost. Reyes safely lands the shuttle on the icy and deserted plain, in the dark shadows of the mountains.

An icy wind blows hard while they camouflage the shuttle the best they can, burying it under a pile of snow. Sara has to do most of the work, Reyes’ shoulder hurting too much for him to be helpful. Every effort cost him a great deal, and he quickly feels like his chest is about to explode. Judging by the sweat he sees on Sara’s face, she’s exhausted, too. But she motions him to stop and keeps working alone in the snow until she’s done, a mute determination hardening in her gaze.

She turns to him once she’s satisfied with the camouflage, her breathing panting heavily on the comms. “SAM detected a cave just a bit further ahead. We’ll shelter there until my crew arrives. Can you walk?”

Reyes nods. He admires her mute determination, endlessly pulling her forward and keeping her going on. Witnessing such sheer grit rises a new strength inside him, and he ignores the thousand needles stinging in his arm with relentless fury to follow her without complaint.

 

He falls on the ground as soon as they’re inside the cave. He takes off his helmet and inhales deeply, even if the cold air burns his throat at first. He doesn’t care. He couldn’t stand to breathe the recycled air anymore and welcomes with delight the fresh oxygen filling his lungs and feeding his muscles with renewed energy.

Sara sits next to him and imitates him. Her hair is glued to her skull and forehead, and she rubs it aside with tired fingers. Then, she stretches her legs before taking a handful of snow and wiping it over her face and neck. She reaches to another pocket in her armor and grabs two protein bars, handing one to Reyes.

“Are you hungry? You look like you could use some extra calories…” She waves the protein bar in front of him, and he thankfully accepts the frugal meal. As they eat, Sara catches up with SAM on the Tempest status.

“ETA confirmed, 7 hours and 24 minutes, Pathfinder. I have sent your current position to your team. For your security, I advise you to stay put until they get here. I will warn you, should anyone else near your location.”

“Thanks, SAM. Also, tell Lexi that we’re going to need her expertise and send her the data, please.”

“Of course, Ryder.”

Sara looks at Reyes. “I guess we just have to wait now. Make ourselves as cozy and warm as possible… and wait.”

Reyes winces, this time not from the pain. The prospect of staying for so long in a frozen cave doesn’t sound very attractive, but he faces it with his usual irony. “You should let me organize our next date, Sara. Not even a blanket or a candle…” He settles comfortably against her body, listening to her soft laugh and enjoying her warm breathing on his temple.

He’s too exhausted to talk anymore. Now he can rest, at last, and within minutes he’s deeply asleep.

 

*** 

 

Hours later, Sara is woken up by the sound of a motor approaching. Despite all her efforts to stay awake, she finally fell into a restless sleep after only a couple of hours of silent watch.

She stretches her cramped muscles with a yawn, and her movement causes Reyes to open one sleepy eye. He’s puzzled for a moment until he remembers where he is. He hears the engine, too, and sits up straight to listen to it.

“That’s the Nomad?”

Sara gets on her feet. “Yes. They found us.”

She gets out of the cave and waves her arms in the air when the blurred silhouette of the Nomad materializes in the distance.

Soon, the vehicle stops in front of them and Cora’s stern face appears through the window. The huntress opens the door and jumps on the floor next to Sara. Behind her, the broad smile of Sara’s brother comes into view.

“Hey, need a ride, Pathfinder? You have to explain to me how you manage to always get into trouble so easily… You left Eos less than 48h ago!”

Sara’s too tired to answer Scott. Instead, she looks at Cora and smiles gratefully. “Thanks for coming so quickly.”

“We did as quickly as we could, Ryder. Gil did wonders with the Tempest, she flies faster than ever… but it must have seemed like an eternity to you. How do you feel?”

Sara shrugs her shoulders. “Exhausted. And cold. Can’t wait for a hot shower. Let’s get back to the ship, alright? Reyes is wounded, we cannot waste time.”

“What happened?” Scott’s smile vanishes. He understands from their tired expression that now is not the time for joking around.

“It’s… complicated. It didn’t exactly go the way we wanted.”

Scott exchanges a curious glare with Cora. “But did you find–”

“Yes, we found something.” Sara cuts him off and handles him the kett device along with the datapad. “Make sure to bring this to the tech lab the minute we get on the ship, ok? But first, let’s get the hell out of here.”

Scott doesn’t insist. He doesn’t comment when Sara refuses the driver seat and sits next to Reyes at the back, either. He eyes Cora, who’s frowning. But the huntress turns up the heating ventilation inside the Nomad without a word and heads for the outpost.

 

Once inside the Tempest, after a short but silent ride, they all take off their armors in the airlock. Sara’s lips remain shut the whole time, her worried stare locked on Reyes. He has never been paler. She motions him to follow her, and they exit the room together.

Reyes probably senses her concern as they walk down the hallway, because he turns to her with a faint smile on his lips. “I’m fine. I just need a shower, some sleep in a real bed, and I’ll be as good as new.”

“You should ask Lexi to check your shoulder, first.”

“No.” He shakes his head in denial. “I won’t let the Initiative access my personal and medical info, it’s out of the question. I only need some rest.”

“Reyes, don’t be silly. Lexi won’t keep a file on you, you’re not even authorized on the Tempest! She’ll just treat your wound, and–”

“Sara, I said no.” His tone carries an abrupt and unexpected anger.

Sara’s surprised by his strong reaction, but she doesn’t insist. She knows there are some limits she shouldn’t cross, even if she doesn’t understand them. That’s the least she can do in return for all he’s done for her so far, and she gently grabs his hand to show him that she won’t push for it.

He looks at her, already regretful of behavior. “I’m sorry. I just… I can’t…”

“That’s okay. I don't blame you for wanting to stay away from Lexi and her needles…” She chuckles softly, and the tension disappears as fast as it came.

When they part by the door of her quarters, Sara rubs a tender finger on his wrist and drops a kiss on his cheek. “Go take a shower if you want, and rest. I’ll go and see if SAM has found new info and join you a bit later, okay?”

He nods tiredly and enters the room.

After one last, worried glance, she leaves him alone.

 

She heads straight for the tech lab, where Lexi and SAM are already busy with the tech. Sara sits on the edge of the desk and blankly stares for a while at the oval, empty device that held the syringe and now lies next to the asari on the desk.

“Tell me, what have you found so far?”

Lexi turns to her with grave eyes. “Pathfinder… you are not going to like this.”

Sara tries to ignore the sinking feeling creeping into her guts and holds her gaze. “Don’t spare me, Lexi. I don’t like it already.”

Lexi lowers her head and points at the datapad. “The last entry, it’s… it’s yours, Ryder. Your DNA is encrypted in the database, along with thousands of genetic codes.”

Sara crosses her arms over her chest and inhales deeply to keep calm. “Was it collected when they used the tech on me?”

“Either that, or it happened when you took it in your bare hands for the first time. SAM compared the data gathered by the scientist on Prodromos before your attack with the signals emitted by the datapad. He will explain that part much better than me.”

SAM’s voice immediately fills the room with its flat intonation. “It appears that Dr. Abrams was right. The kett device is a protective shell for the remnant artifact that was inside, but not only. I have yet to determine exactly how, but the kett components function as a sort of liaison agent and allow the datapad to communicate directly with the artifact. The most logical explanation is that by touching the device, you imprinted your DNA on it, so to speak, and it was transmitted to the datapad.”

Sara represses a curse. “That would explain how the kett knew we had the tech with us. That’s how they found it on Prodromos.”

“Yes, Pathfinder. But I’m afraid there’s more to it. I detected a coded program continuously running in the background on the datapad. It seems to be performing the same operation over and over, which consists in compiling and combining every DNAs encrypted in the database, thanks to complex algorithms that I still have to fully comprehend. But the purpose of this process is very clear. It mixes together molecules of both kett and angaran genetic codes. Even if the majority of the combinations don’t produce a genetic material that could lead to the creation of a living creature, a small percentage eventually forms a new genome suitable for the formation of a viable genetic structure.”

Sara pensively chews on her bottom lip. All that scientific crap doesn’t make a lot of sense to her. Yet, she can sense that more bad news is coming, and she has to restrain the anxiety in her voice.

“So, kett are trying to play genetic gods. Nothing new here. We already knew kett were researching on genetics, we know how they are capable of exalting the angara.”

Lexi’s embarrassed. “It’s more complicated than that, Ryder. We don’t understand every aspect of the exaltation yet. From what we know, it implies a large part of indoctrination beside the physiological manipulation. This tech is way more advanced than that. It is, in fact, more complex than any kett technology we ever encountered.”

She pauses, and Sara presses her to continue. “Dr. Abrams said she suspected the remnant tech to be Jardaan-made. You think she was right? You think the kett found a way to use it to their advantage?”

Lexi sighs deeply. But this time, she looks at Sara straight in the eyes when she answers. “Yes, Ryder. SAM and I believe that this artifact was made by the Jardaan in order to create the angara. That means kett are now able of doing exactly the same thing. By mixing their genome directly with angaran genetic material, they can breed hybrid creatures that look exactly like angara. In fact, we must consider the possibility that they now can transform any lifeforms into kett-sapient creatures, with only just one injection.”

 

Sara takes a hesitant step back, contemplating with horror the cursed device on the desk. Her trembling hand reaches to the back of her neck, but she doesn’t feel her own touch. Instead, she feels a biting cold spreading over her skin, numbing all her senses with agony.

Darkness moves fast upon her. Black clouds grow inside her mind, now buzzing with confusion. She wants to maintain a neutral face, even if she’s dying inside, repeatedly, endlessly. Something is boiling within her chest and strangles her, an uncontrolled explosion of panic on the brink of rupture.

 

_Breathe. Ryder, don’t forget to breathe._

SAM’s voice on their private channel brings her back to reality. He always sounds much kinder when he speaks directly to her, without the artificial, steely inflection of his voice. In her head, he sounds like a friendly relative, one that knows how to appease her sorrow.

Sara concentrates on that voice. On the sweet intonation that invites her to focus, that exhorts her to breathe.

She forces the fear out of her throat, she refuses to let panic take control. Not this time. Not again.

The first breath comes after a desperate struggle, and a rush of air invades her lungs as she inhales deeply.

 

“Ryder, are you okay? You’re very pale.”

Lexi’s hand gently grabs her forearm, and Sara jumps in surprise. For a moment, she almost forgot the asari was in the room with her. Her heart pounding, she turns tormented eyes to her friend.

“Lexi… They used it on me, that tech… am I turning into a kett?”

“As for now, there’s no way of knowing for sure, Ryder. As far as we can tell, your DNA hasn’t been matched with another genetic code. But I’m not going to lie to you. Yes, this is a possibility. SAM and I will need to monitor you closely until we can figure that out. Daily scans and blood tests are required to make sure we notice any changes that could happen in your DNA.”

Lexi smiles and rests a comforting hand on Sara’s shoulder. “But I’m sure you’ll be fine. Try not to worry about that, ok?”

Sara doesn’t react. She’s absorbed in the contemplation of her shaking hands on her knees, wondering if her skin will ever turn to green. Wondering if it has already begun, if the transformation is inevitable. She shivers violently.

Lexi seems to understand that Sara is in shock. A poor smile gains her lips, and she gets up from her seat. “Please, come with me to the med bay, Ryder. We’ll do a full body scan and take some blood to compare it with samples collected prior to your attack, to be sure. It’s really just a precaution.”

Sara agrees absent-mindedly. She knows Lexi sounds as reassuring as possible, but it’s not helping.

A thousand iced daggers are cutting her open from within, and Sara keeps staring at her cold, cold hands while she follows the doctor to the med bay without a word. She hardly acknowledges that Lexi motions her to lie down on the bed and automatically complies.

Lexi can’t help but notice her distress, and she starts speaking with the softest tone she can produce.

“Now that we know what we’re looking for, we’ll be able to track any signs of change or uncommon developments in your body. I’ll compare your blood samples and scan results with the ones I took a few days ago and with the data of your personal files, for reference. If anything differs, even the slightest alteration, SAM and I will notice it immediately.”

“I know you’re trying to comfort me, Lexi, but I’m not convinced. It is one thing to notice it, another to know what to do about it… As long as we don’t have the artifact, there’s not much you could do, right?”

“We’ll take care of that when we get there, if we get there, ok? Let me worry about that.”

The scanner starts moving up and down her body, and Sara shuts her eyes to try to silence the devastating frustration inside her mind. It also prevents her from seeing the pity look on Lexi’s face.

“And there’s another thing that we should consider, Ryder. This tech is utterly dangerous, obviously. It alters genetic structure in a way that we yet have to understand. But I’m sure its effects are not irreversible, and it’s only a matter of time before SAM finds a way to use it for our own benefits once you’ll have retrieved it. Because you are going to retrieve it, of course.”

Sara manages to give her a weak smile and opens her eyes. “Sure. Thanks, Lexi. I’m sure this is the discovery of the year... And I’m not worried, not at all.”

She crushes the sheet in her fists until the scanner stops moving, and she sits on the edge of the bed.

Lexi goes on after a while, her back turned to Sara as she prepares what she needs for the blood test.

“It could be, Ryder. It could be a major discovery. Possibilities are amazing and endless. In fact, if we ever achieve to figure out the processes at work, it could cure all kinds of diseases caused by genetic disorders. Cancers, chromosome abnormalities, fibrosis, diabetes, … you name it. All those illnesses could be treated if we found a proper way to alter the cells like this remnant tech seems to do.”

Sara suddenly stiffens, a frail hope flaring up in her gaze. “You mean we could cure someone with a degenerative disorder?”

Lexi takes her time to answer, choosing her words with caution. “Ryder… I know what you’re thinking. Yes, in theory, it could be possible, but–”

Lexi stops in the middle of her sentence when she turns to face the bed, the needle in her hand. She realizes that she’s alone in the room. Sara’s gone.

 

The sound of her hurried footsteps echoes down the hall. Sara doesn’t care about what was done to her anymore. She doesn’t care if she was injected, manipulated, or whatever.

A single idea is spinning inside her mind, relentless and obstinate, barely formulated and so unbelievable that it cannot be true. And yet…

She runs to the bio lab, looking for Scott, but her brother is not there. She dashes toward the bridge, an audacious plan drawing up in her head.

If this is true, this… this could change _everything_.

 

All the members of her crew are gathered on the bridge when she hastily enters the room, and they turn simultaneously towards her. She leaves them no time to speak.

“Team meeting in the conference room, now. You too, Scott.” And, without further ado, she hurries back from where she came from.

She runs down the hall but stops on her way to peer through the open doors of the tech lab. Something is pulling her inside, and she swiftly goes in and takes the tech on the desk in a flash of inspiration.

An odd and quiet tranquility now fills her mind. She sets aside her fear for her own life and concentrates instead on all the things she could do, all the people she could help, if she put this technology in the right hands. There are too many things at stake. She can’t lose it now, she needs to focus.

Her mind is clear. As she climbs up the ramp to the meeting room, she knows what she has to do. Her hand is steady while she lays the device at the center of the table in the meeting room, where her teammates are already waiting for her.

Sara looks at them one by one. All of a sudden, she regrets that not all of her team is there, and her thoughts go to Jaal and how he will react when he’ll learn what she’s about to reveal to the others. But she has no choice. There’s no time.

As her eyes cross her brother’s watchful gaze, she takes a deep breath. And finally starts speaking.

“Ok guys, I’ll come straight to the point. You probably recognize this, we found it on H-089v.” She points to the tech on the table, surprised by the calm of her voice. “Inside, there was a remnant artifact that allows genetic manipulation. We think that this is how the Jardaan created the angara. We just found out that this tech has been perverted by the kett, and that they’re now able to mix their genome with other beings. We have proof that the angara who stole it and attacked me on Eos were in fact kett.”

She swallows sharply. “And they used the syringe on me.”

Her friends anxiously look at her, unsure of what to say. She senses from their shocked silence that they’re trying to find the right words.

But she has no room for their sympathy.

“We don’t know what effect it will have on me. Changes happen on such a deep level that not even SAM is able to fully understand them at the moment. But both he and Lexi think that it could be a cure for many rare and fatal diseases. We have to retrieve it. With that, we could make sure I don’t turn into a kett in the middle of the night. And…”

Her eyes meet on her brother’s hopeful stare. She takes another deep breath. “It could also cure AEND, Scott. With that, we could save mum.”

He’s astonished, like the rest of her crew. “Are you sure?”

Sara confirms without any doubt. “Yes. I have no choice, I need to get this tech back. But I can’t do it alone, and I can’t trust anyone but you. I don’t know who the enemy is, how many infiltrated angara there could be. All I know is that I was led into a trap on Voeld, that the kett almost killed me, twice… And the Initiative is still keeping me away from the investigation.”

Defiance flickers in her eyes with relentless fury before she goes on.

“But I won’t stand by. We’re expected to show up on the Nexus in a few days for the Pathfinders nomination, and I’ll use the visit to sort some things out with Tann. I also plan to find out where Avitus Rix has gone. I will track him down and bribe as many people as I have to, but I will get answers. I’ll go back to H-089v, if I have to. But I can’t force any of you to come with me on this trip, and I won’t blame anyone who chooses to stay on the Nexus. You’re on holiday, and I have no right to ask you–”

Cora makes a step forward. “Ryder, are you kidding? We’re all going with you. You don’t even have to ask.”

All her friends instantly manifest their approval.

“That goes without saying, Pathfinder.” Liam gets closer to her. “We’re all together in this.”

As her crew circles her, her heart is overwhelmed with pride to see them gathered around her with such assurance. None of them hesitated for one second, and Scott’s stupefaction has turned to a strong determination. She knows she can count on him, and on each of her friends. She won’t be alone to face this.

 

Suddenly, a low voice rises in her back. A voice that sends high spikes of energy in her every cell, that maybe a part of her was secretly hoping to hear.

“I’m coming, too.”

His hushed words are voiced with quiet confidence, and Sara closes her eyes when she hears him. Of course, he came. Of course, left alone in her quarters, he sneaked out and overheard her plan.

Of course. She should have known.

She would have done exactly the same thing.

For the first time since she discovered the tech was used on her, she feels a curious and comfortable warmth tickling in her chest, that washes away the coldness that had taken hold of her for so long. A burst of heat blossoms inside her and wraps her with unexpected tenderness.

She doesn’t want to abandon him, either.

But she has to protect him.

 

Behind her, Reyes hammers with force. “I’m coming with you, Sara.”

His fierce claim almost breaks her resolve. She turns to him, an evident torture on her face. An irresistible longing to nest her head against his chest and remain at peace by his side fills all her heart. She barely resists the urge.

She wants to tell him that it’ll be alright, that he doesn’t need to worry. She wants to hold him and make him feel how much she wishes she didn’t have to leave him behind. She wishes he could understand from the distress in her eyes that she’s sorry, that she just wants to be with him. But that she can’t.

If her eyes could speak, that’s what they would say right now.

But she shakes her head and murmurs faintly to him, each word coming out at the price of a great effort. “You can’t, Reyes. We’ll discuss this later.”

Reyes lays grave eyes on her, incapable of restraining the anxiety strangling his throat. “No. We’re going to talk about it here and now, in front of everyone. I’m not leaving you, not now, not after…” Pain briefly floods him as he stops in the middle of his sentence. He swallows with difficulty. “… not after what happened, what you’ve been through. I ain’t going anywhere, and I’m coming with you.”

His voice echoes loudly on the metallic ceiling of the conference room, and for a while no one says a word.

 


	11. Perfect pretexts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The one with almost no lies

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Splendid cover by [ @seokanori ](https://seokanori.tumblr.com/). I now have another favorite pic for this fic <333

 

“I’m coming with you.” 

Reyes makes a stubborn step forward, disturbing the oppressive quietness of the room at last. “You promised we’d spent 2 months together… but then you left Kadara, and everything went wrong ever since. You have no idea… how bad things are...” His voice breaks. “Sara, I need you. Don’t leave me.”

She glances at him in surprise. She never heard such vulnerability coming from him, even less in front of other people. Reyes is looking at her with desperate eyes, and she sees it. She sees the fear disguised beneath his breath, the barely contained and strangling fear of losing her.

This breaks her heart. It tears her in half, in two conflicted parts that lessen her resolve and leave her assailed by doubt. She clenches her fists in a vain attempt to conceal the conflicting emotions pulling her apart, fighting a silent war she’s not sure she wants to win.

“You’ve been hurt, Reyes. I almost got you killed on Voeld… I don’t want to take any more chances.”

“This? That’s nothing, I don’t care. And you almost died, too. That’s why I came, why I’m here.”

“But this could be even more dangerous. I cannot ask you to do that. We don’t know how long this will take or where this is going to take us…”

“I don’t care,” he repeats forcefully, an overwhelming urge filling his voice. “Don’t you see? I’ve traveled across the whole galaxy already, just to be with you. You owe me those 2 months, that was the deal. And you always keep your promises. Sara, we’ve lost enough time…”

He pauses and swallows convulsively. The words about to cross his lips are burning him, but he lets them die in his throat. Not telling her is killing him. There are so many things he ought to tell her, the weight on his chest, the weakness in his lungs, the ache deep inside his heart…

But those are things he cannot say, not right now, not just yet. She has suffered enough. And so, he chooses to keep that to himself and to be the man she needs.

Because that is the right thing to do.

 

He briefly peers at Sara’s teammates. They all seem moved by what he just said, and he decides to take full advantage of their compassion. It’s the time or never.

He gets closer, entering the friendly circle around the Pathfinder. "Besides, you need me. I have useful connections… and I can help on the ship, assist Gil with maintenance, take the co-pilot seat. I’ll take shifts like everyone else. And I’ll make sure to keep you warm at night, too.”

He adds that last part with a cheeky grin that almost makes her laugh. But all her team grunts in disgust.

“Eww… You should have stopped after ‘shifts’, Vidal. We don’t want to know.” Cora sighs loudly and frowns, but the obvious, amused smile on her face contradicts her severe expression and perfectly captures the current spirit of the crew.

“No, I really don’t want to know,” Scott adds with a slight curl to his lips. “Although… I have to admit he’s making a point. Two members of your crew are missing. I can cover for Jaal in the field, but I won’t be of any use on the ship. And your crew still lacks a teammate.”

Gil agrees. “He’s right, Ryder. I could use some extra help with the engineering, to be honest. And it’s even better if the helper is a poker player that’s worth the challenge. I vote for it.”

Despite the darkness of the room, Sara spots the conspiratorial wink Gil directs at Peebee. The asari immediately seizes the opportunity and walks into the light. She pouts and puts one hand on her hip, the other pointing a finger at Sara.

“Ryder… I’m mad at you. Well, kinda. I mean, you were after a remtech and didn’t tell me? And I thought we were friends…” But Peebee bursts out laughing and claps her hands excitedly. “Of course, I’m okay with him coming on board! The more the merrier, right?”

“Wow, wait a minute.” Sara lifts a hand in the air to stop them. “Are we really considering this?”

Sadly, her team doesn’t listen to her anymore. No one pays her any attention, and she incredulously witnesses the argument that follows.

 

Cora calmly retorts to Peebee, pretending to ignore the asari’s annoyed roll of the eyes when she calls her by her full name.

“It’s not a matter of fun, Pelessaria. We have to discuss what’s best for the team and for the ship. I never thought I’d say this, but I agree. Reyes seems to be trustworthy… and we need someone we can trust, not some outsider. I’ll keep an eye on him, just to be sure. But as long as he complies with Initiative standard procedures, I vote for it, too.”

Drack and Vetra shrug off, as if to say they couldn’t care less about Initiative policy. The old krogan softly chuckles to himself.

“Hehe. That’s going to be interesting…” He nudges Liam’s arm with not so subtle gentleness, unaware of the angry look the man throws him in return. “Even you can’t say no to that.”

“I want what’s best for the team. If everyone agrees, I won’t vote against it,” Liam answers vexedly.

Sara can’t believe it. She didn’t have time to speak her mind that the decision seems already made. She must step in.

“Guys… are you serious? Can’t you see all the problems this would raise if ever the Initiative leadership finds out about that? Come on, people, wake up! What’s happening to you?”

Lexi, who remained very quiet up to now, snorts in her back. “Like this has ever stopped you… Ryder, you’re about to undertake an unofficial and secret mission, not to say an illegal one. You really expect us to believe you’re concerned about what Tann could say?”

Sara scowls at her, about to retort that Lexi can keep her sarcastic remarks to herself. But SAM chooses this precise moment to break in with his usual and tranquil composure.

“I know nobody asked for my opinion, but allow me to recommend taking Mr. Vidal on board, Pathfinder. Logic dictates that you should get all the assistance you can in order to accomplish this mission, and I reckon that he would make a valuable addition to the team.”

Another silence follows SAM’s words while everybody agrees. But there’s one crew member that hasn’t spoken yet, and all eyes fall on him with unrestrained curiosity.

Reyes turns to Kallo, his heart pounding in his chest. Even if he doesn’t realize it, the salarian holds his whole future into his hands. Sara’s decision now only depends on his opinion.

Kallo pinches his lips. “I am perfectly capable of flying the Tempest alone, as you’re all aware. I flew her down here all by myself, I don’t need–”

Vetra strikes him in the ribs before he can continue, and Kallo looks totally nonplussed. “Ouch! What–”

Vetra hits him again, looking at him with insistent, wide eyes. “You surely could use the help, right?”

Rubbing his painful ribcage, Kallo takes his time to answer. But he’s acutely conscious of all the questioning stares fixed on him, awaiting his response. Finally, he sighs resignedly.

“Fine... He wouldn’t have been my first choice, but I’ll make do. If I can work with Gil, I guess I can work with him, too.”

 

“This is crazy…” Sara holds her forehead. “Shit. Is this really happening? Someone pinches me, please.”

Scott gives her a hearty slap on the back. “Oh, come on. We all could tell from the look on your face how badly you wanted this.”

“I was not…” She stops in the middle of her sentence when her eyes fall on Reyes and his smug, delighted expression, and she chuckles softly. “Okay. You got me. Maybe a little.”

Scott grins broadly. “Don’t try to deny it. I swear, it was so obvious that you were trying to hide it... It would have been funny, in another situation.”

All of her crew approve with loud cheers, and Reyes gently grabs her shoulders with a triumphant smile. “You can’t get rid of me that easily, Sara.”

“Yeah, I can see that… I should never have left you on board my ship for so long. I should have known that you and your smooth manners would win them over… and now you’re all ganged up on me.”

Reyes’ smirk only gets bigger. “Absolutely. My plan worked like a charm.”

Sara laughs. She knows she should be annoyed, but somehow it feels like a victory to her, too. She’s unable to hide her evident happiness as she stares at all her friends gathered around her and deeply breathes in.

“Okay, folks. If you’re sure about this, let’s do it. Vetra, Drack, I need you to pull some strings and find out if any of your contacts know anything about Rix’s investigation.”

Drack answers without hesitation. “I’ll ask around, kid. Kesh might know something.”

“And I’ll try to get info from Tiran Kandros. He and I, we go way back.”

“Vetra!” Sara’s surprised exclamation crosses her lips before she can hold it back. “You and Kandros…?”

“What? ... Oh…” When Vetra understands what Sara is referring to, she goes on with an enigmatic smile. “No, Ryder, it’s not what you think. He owes me a favor. Or two.”

Sara knows that she’ll get nothing more from Vetra, and she doesn’t insist. “Just… keep it low, okay? Tann cannot be aware that I am after Rix.”

They both nod their agreement. Sara dismisses her friends and prepares to leave. “Kallo, set course for the Nexus immediately. I trust you to take good care of our new trainee, alright?”

“Wait. Where are you going?” Reyes seems puzzled to be left alone.

“Well... I have a team schedule to prepare. I cannot go see Tann empty handed, can I?” And with a wink, she walks out of the room. As she goes down the ramp, she hears Kallo already lecturing Reyes.

“You can sit in Suvi’s seat,” the salarian announces with his patronizing voice, “but you don’t touch anything until I say so, understood?”

Gil bursts out laughing, and Sara smiles to herself as she proceeds to her quarters.

 

***

 

“Hey, do you know where Ryder is?”

Reyes looks behind his shoulder at Cora, who’s standing in the doorway of Sara’s bedroom on the Tempest.

They docked on the station an hour ago, and the Pathfinder immediately left the ship and disappeared without saying a word. Not that anyone bothered to ask where she was going, either. She clearly had something on her mind, and nobody dared to interrupt her.

He shakes his head and shrugs. “I assumed she couldn’t wait to go and yell at Tann. She seemed pretty determined, I thought I’d better leave her alone. You know that look she has on her face when she’s upset...”

Cora gives him a faint smile, but quickly resumes her usual professionalism. “I’m serious. I just came back from the Pathfinders HQ, she’s not there. Scott checked her quarters, but nobody saw her on the Nexus. She’s not answering my calls, and SAM won’t tell me where she is.”

“Of course, he won’t. He’s completely and fiercely loyal to his dear Pathfinder. But don’t worry," Reyes gets up from his seat and safely locks the datapad he was reading with his secret password before shutting it off. He leaves it on the desk and grabs his jacket on the back of the chair. “I know where to find her.”

 

When he enters cryo bay, Sara’s alone in the vast, quiet room. She’s startled by the sound of the sliding doors opening, but soon relaxes as she sees him coming in.

“Let me guess… I stayed away too long, people started to wonder?”

He nods, and a sad little smile appears on her lips. “Sorry. I’m not turning into a kett… I just lost track of time.”

Not responding, Reyes looks around. Endless rows of identical stasis pods are laid against the walls up to the ceiling, projecting their metallic and cold shadows all over the floor of the gigantic room. He feels completely lost inside this wide and dark space, its stillness punctuated only by the occasional buzz of the maintenance machinery.

As far as he can tell, most containers are empty. But hundreds of screens are still turned on, displaying the coded identity of their sleeping host. So many people plunged into an artificial coma and waiting to be brought back to life…

He swallows sharply, remembering the moment he woke up in this room, after a 600-year trip from the Milky Way. It was almost exactly two years ago, and he represses a shiver when a sudden coldness takes hold of his heart, just like it did on that day. He coughs dryly, trying to set the feeling aside, and peers at Sara. Her gaze is lost somewhere in the distance, and she seems too deep in her thoughts to have noticed his brief discomfort.

Reyes lays a gentle hand on her shoulder. He knows what brought her here.

“Is that her?” He points at the stasis pod in front of her.

Sara’s pulled out of her silent trance. “No. She’s in that one, right there.” She shows him a pod at the end of the upper row. The blue and gray container looks exactly like all the others, anonymous and abandoned.

“I thought she was on the Hyperion.”

“They transferred all the people they couldn’t wake up from stasis back to the Nexus after the Hyperion crashed on Meridian. There is no schedule for her awakening, so… she’s just lying there, waiting.”

“I know all this has been hard on you, Sara…” He pulls on her shoulder to make her look at him. “But this could be the opportunity to finally achieve what you’ve been waiting to do since you learned that she was alive. You need to focus on that. This could be your chance to save her.”

She pushes him away. “Save her? Save her from what, exactly?”

He’s confused by her unexpected bitterness. Sara side-eyes him and sighs.

“Nobody seems to understand. They’re all like Scott, hoping for a miracle to happen. Like if all we had to do was find a cure and then live happily ever after. Damn… this ain’t no fairy tale, Reyes. There are things… that can’t be undone. And all this shit falls on me.”

“What are you talking about? Nobody said it would be perfect. Don’t you want your mother to wake up?”

“That’s not what I said.”

Sara closes her eyes. This is something she has never told anyone, not even her brother. Especially not her brother. She doesn’t want to burden him, so much damage has already been done. But this is something she needs to get out of her chest. It is too painful to bear.

“Of course, I want my mother to wake up. I’ve missed her so much since she passed away… but she would have wanted me to go on with my life, and that’s what I did. I moved on. My father… he could never do that. That’s why he dragged us here in Andromeda, Scott and I, under a false pretext. He signed up for us, did you know that? Without asking us first, without telling us the truth. That’s the kind of man he was.”

She lets a sad snort out, her tone getting angrier as she goes on. “And now I’m the one who has to deal with his secrets. To make it right.”

Reyes can feel the rage boiling up inside her. He grabs her hand, hoping to soothe her. “People mourn in many different ways. There are things we do for the ones we love… that don’t make sense to anybody but us. You can’t blame him for trying to save her.”

“No. It was not about saving her. It was about refusing to let her go, just because he wasn’t prepared to face her death. But she was ready to die… she had made her peace with that, she had said goodbye… Even that, he managed to fuck it up. And now, if ever she wakes up… I’ll be the one who has to tell her that she will have to live in a world where Alec’s dead. Because of me.”

“Sara… Don’t say that.”

“You don’t get it. She will never see him again, he’s the one who’s gone, and it is my fault. Even if we succeed, how can I tell her… how could I ever tell her that… that I killed–”

Her voice breaks in the middle of her sentence, her sorrow suddenly taking over the anger she felt only seconds ago. She looks into the distance to avoid meeting his eyes. “It’s a freaking huge mess, Reyes. It’s so fucking unfair…”

He has no answer to offer. He realizes how heavy falls the weight upon her shoulders, and he remains speechless. Because she is painfully right, and he cannot do anything about that.

His arms instinctively wrap her and pull her close to him, and Sara buries her face in his chest, driven by an irrepressible need. As his head rests against hers and his hands hold her tight, the ache deeply rooted in his chest awakes once again and paralyzes him with fear. Not that he fears for his own life, no. He fears nothing he could say would shut that guilt inside her heart, nothing could erase everything that happened, never.

And it’s eating him alive.

 

After a short while, Sara breaks away from him, sniffing back silent tears. “I’m sorry. This had to get off my chest, I guess. Forget what I just said.”

She smiles poorly at him, and Reyes senses how strong she tries to be, though still on the brink of shattering at a moment’s notice. He holds her back.

He cups her chin with one hand and lifts her face up to him, leaning in for a kiss. Just before their mouths meet, she plunges her green and watery eyes into his, her teary eyes filled with sparkling lights that look like the many scars she bears within. 

And that’s where he finds the answer. The answer to a question that was never asked, lying there in the tense space between their outstretched lips, an answer that needs no words to have a voice of its own.

 _I am here,_ he answers as he kisses her. _Here with you,_ his tongue whispers. _Till the end of my days._

She hears his every word. All of her sorrow evaporates in the recycled air of the room, her sadness instantly kissed away when he steals her breath between his lips. The burning void in her heart is replaced with a precious and quiet certainty that she only feels next to him, soothed by his touch.

“I’m glad you’re here with me,” she murmurs when their mouths part.

“There’s no place else I want to be. You will always come first, Sara. I hope you know that.”

She nods, safely locked in his tight embrace. There’s nowhere else she’d want to be, either.

 

She looks up at the stasis pod once again. “You would like her, you know. My mother… she was always nice and welcoming, with everybody. Even at the end, she never stopped smiling and trying to cheer us up, Scott and me. I never understood how a sweet and loving woman like her could have fallen for a man like Alec.”

Reyes lowers his head to whisper in her ear. “Well, we don’t get to choose who we fall in love with…”

“No, I guess we don’t…” A warm smile blossoms in her eyes. “And I bet she’ll like you, too. You’re such a smooth talker… I’m sure you two would get along pretty well.”

He holds her tighter. “Sara Ryder… Are you considering introducing me to your mother?”

He grins wildly as he utters that, and a burst of small laughter escapes Sara's throat when she hears the pretended amazement in his voice.

“You managed to get invited on board my ship so easily… I imagine nothing could stop you from meeting my mother if ever you decide to.”

He laughs with her, happy and relieved to listen to her newly regained cheerfulness. But he has no time to answer. Sara’s omnitool pings suddenly, announcing an incoming email, and Reyes drops a soft kiss on her forehead before letting her go.

Sara looks at the screen, pleased to see that Vetra didn’t waste time finding interesting information.

 

_Rix is MIA since he left Eos. His ship and crew disappeared 6 days ago in the Zaubray system._

_Tann won’t send a rescue team. Looks like he’s trying to cover this up the best he can._

_Be careful, Ryder._

_Vetra._

 

Sara shows the message to Reyes and sighs. She seems to remember the reason why she came here in the first place and turns off her omnitool with a snap of the tongue.

“Talking about meetings… I’d better get going. And you’d better go back to the Tempest while I talk to Tann. No need to stir up more trouble by showing up and provoking him…”

Reyes nods his agreement. “Sure. But you’re sure it’ll be fine? You can handle him?”

“Oh, you bet I can. I just needed to gather my strength before looking at his stupid and ugly face, and I’m all packed up thanks to you.” She gives him a cheeky smile. “I’m gonna fuck his shit up, he has no idea…”

She starts walking toward the exit door, but Reyes swiftly grabs her wrist to stop her. “Sara… don’t play with fire. He’s not worth it.”

“I'll be fine. I just have to outsmart him. That won’t be hard.”

She resolutely resumes her walk to the tram station, and Reyes follows her. The sudden boldness in her voice doesn’t reassure him at all. “What do you intend to do? You can’t simply barge in and demand that I join your crew.”

“I have to get his authorization, I have no choice. The Tempest won’t be able to leave the Nexus if he doesn’t sanction it. Otherwise, that would just be the happy excuse he’s been waiting for this whole time. I could get fired.”

“But he’ll never agree to that…”

“No,” Sara shakes her head as they pass by the entrance doors of the tram station, “he won’t.”

Reyes gets closer and looks at her with insistence. “So, what’s the plan? You surely don’t want to antagonize him even further…”

“Don’t worry. All I need is a pretext to yell at him…” She winks.

“And how’s that supposed to convince him?”

Reyes sounds dubious, and Sara casts him a devilish, mysterious glance. “It’s not. But trust me. I know what I’m doing.”

A wicked smile on her lips, she enters the tram shuttle and blows him a kiss just before the doors close, leaving him alone on the railway platform.

 

There’s no one to greet her in the clerk’s office when she enters the Pathfinders Headquarters. Sara quickly proceeds to the upper floor, the sound of her decided footsteps filling the silent room. Tann is deeply absorbed in some paperwork, and he doesn’t seem to hear her coming until she stops in front of his desk and clears her throat.

He finally raises his head. “Pathfinder. I’m surprised to see you here. Haven’t you been notified?”

His fake indifference immediately gets on Sara’s nerves, even if she expected no less of him. “What do you mean? What should I have been told?”

Tann sighs affectedly, refusing to meet her glance. “You should have been notified. There was… a misunderstanding. I had to dismiss my secretary, to tell you the truth. It is so hard to find good personnel these days and running this administration all by myself has been a real challenge. Nobody seems to realize how much work it is to–”

“Get to the point, Tann,” Sara interrupts him. “I don’t need excuses, I want explanations.”

“Well… sadly, we had to reschedule the Pathfinders appointment.”

Sara frowns. “I hope that this is not another lame attempt to cancel the nominations?”

He’s shocked and answers with indignation. “Of course not. Recent events forced one of the Pathfinders to remain away from the Nexus. Nothing you should worry about,” he adds when he sees the inquisitive glance Sara darts at him, “but we cannot hold an official meeting unless everybody is there. The Initiative policy is clear about that.”

Her eyes darken. Inwardly seething, she nevertheless restrains her anger.

For now.

She walks to the window overlooking Operations Center and Addison’s office, her back turned to Tann. “And you couldn’t figure out a way to let me know sooner?”

“As I said, things were confused here last couple of days. Please accept my sincere apologies. It is a pity you had to interrupt your holiday over nothing.”

The smile in the salarian’s voice is almost too audible, and Sara needs all her strength to bite back a sarcastic remark. Peering through the window, she breathes in slowly and counts to three before speaking, with the calmest tone she can produce. “Well, now that I’m here, you should bring me up to speed. Maybe I could give a hand? Tell me what’s going on, Tann. Has it anything to do with the attack on Eos?”

“No, Ryder. This is none of your concern.”

Sara catches his reflection wincing in the bay window as he goes on.

“Besides, I believe you are the one who owes me an explanation. I received concerning news from the Resistance on Voeld. Reports mentioning an Architect landing in the middle of the mountains and killing a bunch of kett, then taking off as mysteriously as it appeared. You don’t happen to know anything about that, by any chance?”

She stifles a laugh and mutters under her breath. “Like I’mma tell you…”

“Sorry?”

A ferocious grin briefly flashes on her lips before she turns back to the salarian, crossing her arms over her chest in defiance. “I don’t know what to tell you, Tann. How would I know anything about that? After the attack, you made it very clear I had to rest and enjoy my time off. That’s exactly what I did.”

She holds his gaze until he looks away, an awkward expression on his face.

“If you really want to be useful, you should use that time on board to go through your pending reports,” Tann continues after a short while. “I’ve recently realized that you’re behind on paperwork. I know this is not the most enjoyable part of the job, but it has to be done. We all have to do our part. I want you to file those reports and have it sent to me.”

Sara clenches her jaw. “Oh, I’m not staying.”

“As you please. But the Tempest will remain here, on the Nexus.”

“No.” She vehemently shakes her head. “My ship is coming with me.”

“All these travels back and forth, it has a cost, Ryder. It costs us money and supplies, both things which could benefit others. I won’t spend resources for your private enjoyment. I’m sure you have friends you can reach out to,” he grins wryly, “but as far as I’m concerned, you’re on your own.”

“Don’t make it sound like it’s only about me, Tann. My crew and I are free to go wherever we want!”

“Yes, but the Initiative should not be financially accountable for your… personal indulgences. Even you should be able to understand that, Pathfinder. Maybe it’s time you started thinking about others, and not just about yourself. Stop being selfish.”

 

She knew it. She knew he couldn’t resist the temptation to drop a calculated yet undeniable insult into the conversation.

Actually, she was waiting for it. He gave her the perfect pretext she needed, and she jumps right on it, with all her rage and determination.

She slams her fist onto the desk, delighted to see the frightened look on Tann’s face when he cringes away from her. She never felt calmer. And yet, her controlled outburst breaks out with such brutal violence that the walls seem to shrink around her.

“Selfish? Selfish?” She screams at the salarian. “You’re calling me selfish? How dare you… you’ve crossed the line, Tann. You’re the one who refuses to treat with Kadara, you turned down every trade agreement the Collective has ever offered, just because of your stupid little ego. It’s both vain and foolish, you idiot. They’re allies.”

“No, Ryder, they’re exiles.” He tries to remain still, though he’s visibly feeling very uncomfortable. “They chose to leave and put all the Initiative at risk. And they defied my authority. I cannot tolerate that.”

“Finally, we’re getting to the core of the problem… You’re so egocentric and focused on your self-interest that you forgot that these are people, real people struggling to survive. The Initiative has an outpost on Kadara. Many angara live there, too, and you’re the one depriving all of them of basic medical supplies, food, and material. This is so petty of you. And you call me selfish?”

She goes around the desk and gets closer to him. “Maybe I should tell Keema Dohrgun to talk directly to Evfra and tell him the way the Initiative has been making it difficult for his own people, despite all your promises?”

Tann takes a step back. Sara makes another step forward, relentless and obstinate.

“And maybe next time you make the wrong decision once again and provoke a rebellion on board, I won’t be there to help… Maybe I will start telling people what a mean and pitiful little bureaucrat you are.”

She’s right in front of him now, and she prods her middle finger at his chest, poking him at each of her words.

“I can turn your pathetic existence into a nightmare if I want. Don’t mess with me, Tann,” she growls. “That’s a very dangerous game you’re playing. Even on holiday, I’m still the goddamn Pathfinder. Never forget that. You have no idea what I’m capable of…”

Tann’s face has become a red and baffled mess. He looks at her, speechless. 

“You’ve been warned, Director Tann.” Her hand falls back to her side, but the contempt in her voice is barely disguised. “Now sign this, and I’m off your back.”

She pulls a datapad out of her pocket and tosses it on the table.

He quickly recovers his composure. “What’s this?”

“The Tempest release form. My crew and I can go wherever we want. That is not negotiable.”

They look fixedly at each other for a long moment, till Tann sighs resignedly. “You don’t even have a full crew… How are you going to fly your ship?”

“Don’t worry about that, I have the crew I need. The Tempest will fly safely.”

“But did you find a decent copilot to assist Kallo Jath, at least?”

Sara nods innocently, and Tann raises an inexistent eyebrow. “Really? One that meets his standards?”

“I got that covered.” Fury fills her eyes once more and she hisses, “Shit, don’t pretend you care, Tann. I know you don’t give a fuck.”

He seems to be mortified and instinctively shrinks back. “Ryder… Really, there’s no need to be rude.”

He hastily takes the datapad in his shaking hands. Sara holds her breath as the passenger manifest and the log book of the Tempest appear on screen, but Tann marks his approval without giving a single glance at its content. He hands it back to her, obviously and utterly impatient to get rid of her.

She grabs it with a victorious smirk and, without a word, she heads for the exit. She hears Tann calling after her in her back.

“Pathfinder? I still want those reports on my desk by the end of the month, understood?”

She nods. “Oh yes. You’ll get your damn reports. Sooner than you think,” she adds between her teeth. 

She does not bother to look one last time at him. She tightly holds the precious datapad in her hands and hurries back to the docks.

 

Damn, it feels good.

Adrenaline drums in her veins and an immense sense of satisfaction overwhelms her. Her smile gets bigger every time she thinks about the look on Tann’s face when he’ll understand the way she fooled him...

Her only regret is that she won’t be there to witness this.

 


	12. Meet the villains

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The one on the asteroid

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another long chapter… the plot is moving forward, and I really want to take my time. Hope you’ll enjoy it all the same ;)  
> And I realized I never properly thanked all the lovely people who left me kudos and/or commented so far, here or on Tumblr. So, thank you. You’ve been a real and positive force, and I don’t think I would have come this far into this story without you! <3
> 
> NB: No wonderful art this time, so I made a thing. Not as good as the previous covers, obviously xD

 

“Hey.” Sara collapses on the couch next to Reyes and runs a gentle hand on the back of his neck. “Kallo told me we’re about to enter the Zaubray system. Shouldn’t you be on the bridge?”

Startled, Reyes raises his head and looks at her with weary eyes. He blinks a few times, then only acknowledges what she just said and curses out loud.

“Shit.” He gets up, still holding the datapad he was studying. He rubs a hand across his forehead and grumbles sourly, “He promised he would tell me. I guess he forgot about that…”

His dark-ringed eyes are a clear sign of the sleepless night he most likely spent working on his shady business, hidden inside her quarters. For the last couple of days, Sara saw him reading the same datapad over and over. He was deeply absorbed in it last night when she went to bed, and yet this morning when she woke up. She knows he’s exhausted. And preoccupied, too. Kallo getting on his nerves is probably the last thing he needs.

She gives him an apologetic smile and points at the device in his hand. “Bad news?”

“Just some reports.”

Reyes turns it off, but Sara manages to catch a glimpse before he shuts it down. She’s surprised by what she sees. “From Nakamoto? He works for the Collective?”

“No.” Reyes can’t hide his annoyance as he tosses the datapad, now carefully locked, on the coffee table in front of them. “He works for me.”

“I’ve seen you looking at this again and again. What’s wrong, Reyes? Tell me. Can I help?”

An odd agitation flickers in his gaze, too briefly for her to identify it precisely. He dismisses her question almost immediately. “It’s nothing you should worry about.”

“If you say so.” Although it’s not the answer she was hoping for, she accepts it without insisting further.

Reyes seems grateful. He stretches out, his muscles loosening up from the long night spent on the couch. He rubs a hand on his sore shoulder, its tenderness bringing a slight wince of pain on his face.

“Your chest still hurts.” Sara’s attentive glance didn’t miss his reaction.

It’s not a question she’s asking. And so, Reyes chooses not to answer.

“I’d better get going. My shift is about to start, and Kallo is not going to wait for me. And let me remind you that you have an appointment with Lexi,” he adds gravely. But his eyes soften at the sight of Sara’s grimacing expression, and he bends down to drop a soft goodbye kiss on her temple. “You don’t want to miss that.”

 

Sara waits until the sound of his footsteps vanishes in the hall. Left alone in her bedroom, she frowns at her reflection in the bay window, wondering. She mechanically scratches the back of her neck, in an automatic gesture repeated too many times over the last few days. It’s stupid, but she just can’t help it.

The initial euphoria she felt after manipulating Tann quickly wore off when she came back to the Tempest and found Lexi waiting for her, determined to have Sara take every possible medical test she could think of. Sara endured this the best she could. But each time Lexi sticks a needle in her arm or points a flashlight to her eyes, she wants to scream. It reminds her of how powerless she is, and in those moments, her impotence paralyzes her. She doesn’t recognize herself.

Unfortunately, she has to go through those painful sessions over and over. Lexi has been inflexible. So, twice a day, Sara comes to the med bay and performs the same comfortless ritual. First, the body scan, whose familiar humming luckily prevents the doctor from talking. But then, there’s the blood test, and the pointless speech of reassurance.

Sara doesn’t believe it. She can’t ignore the nagging feeling going up and down her throat, scratching and tingling and invading her every nerve. It tingles so much that, sometimes, she finds it hard to swallow. She feels it when she gets up, and she feels it when she goes to bed. She feels it every time she wakes up from troubled dreams in the middle of the night, and every time she looks at Reyes or at one of her teammates and sees their worried glance. She feels it when she catches her own reflection in the mirror, too.

And that’s why she really can’t help it. She scratches her neck, looks at her hands, and wonders.

Lexi says she’s fine. But Sara knows something’s not right, she can feel it.

And it itches.

She sighs loudly and shrugs her anxiety off, ignoring the tickle spreading in her body. And with reluctance, she walks to the med bay.

 

About half an hour later, Kallo’s voice comes in through the Tempest comms. “Ryder, we’ve reached our destination.”

Sara jumps on her feet. “I’ll be on the bridge in a minute, Kallo. Any signs of Rix’s ship?”

“Not that the scans can detect. Should I try to contact him one more time?”

She shakes her head, even if the pilot can’t see her. “No, no need. If he could answer us, he would have done it already.”

She chews on her lower lip, thinking to herself for a while. The only thing she’s sure of is that Rix disappeared somewhere in this system along with his whole crew, exactly one week ago. Every hour passing by gives her fewer chances of finding out what happened to him and increases her frustration. Damn, she doesn’t even have a clue as to why Rix came here in the first place. Her first guess is that he had to resupply, and that’s why her guts tell her that going to Elaaden would be their best shot. But she can’t rely on a simple educated guess. She needs relatable facts.

“Send a request to New Tuchanka,” she finally commands. “We need to access their logs and see if they registered Rix’s arrival.”

“And what should I tell them? Without an official order, they could refuse–”

“You tell them that the Pathfinder demands it, damn it Kallo! And if they refuse, find a way to hack the records, I don’t care!” Sara shouts, her patience running out. She immediately regrets her outburst and tries to continue with a gentler voice. “We need a proof that Rix came to Elaaden. Just… tell them we’re looking for a friend if they ask questions.”

“Yes, Pathfinder,” he replies icily.

Sara takes a deep breath and turns to Lexi. “Are you done?”

The asari puts the hypodermic syringe containing Sara’s blood sample in the centrifuge for analysis. “Yes, you’re good to go. I’ll let you know if anything shows up. Your morning scans were good, though. You shouldn’t be worried.”

As usual, the doctor’s predictable optimism doesn’t bring her any comfort. Sara rolls down her sleeve and puts her leather jacket back on, not responding. Unconsciously, her fingers linger a bit too long on her skin while she wraps her scarf around her. Sara’s gaze crosses with Lexi, and she understands from the doctor’s concerned look that she’s doing it again. She’s touching her neck.

Her hand falls back to her side, and she stuffs it in her pocket. She heads to the bridge without delay, clenching her fists to stop another impulse to reach up. There’s no time for self-pity.

 

Most of the crew is gathered and waiting for her when she enters the room, and Sara nods thankfully at them. She goes directly to the command center, hoping that the sound of her hurried footsteps will cover the agitation in her voice.

“Tell me. What's going on?” She glances at Reyes on her left, but Kallo cuts him off before he can say a word.

“Receiving New Tuchanka logs as we speak, Pathfinder. Launching data analysis…”

Sara flashes Reyes a contrite little smile. Everybody remains silent for a few seconds until SAM’s voice comes in, leaving no room for doubt.

“It appears that Pathfinder Rix made a formal request to land at the outpost. The date corresponds to the day he left Eos. But he never made it to Elaaden, and his request for supplies has been canceled by the Initiative leadership. Officially, he’s not considered MIA.”

So, her first assumption was right. Rix was traveling to Elaaden to restock, but something prevented him from doing so. And Tann is definitely trying to cover this up.

“Was there unusual Scourge activity in the area, lately? Or any movements of kett troops?”

“The system is being closely monitored by both the krogan and the Initiative, Ryder. Everything seems normal.”

“Well, he cannot have vanished into thin air…” Sara’s looking straight in front of her, talking to no one in particular. “And he can’t have gone far. Where the hell did he go?”

Vetra takes a hesitant step forward. “There’s… another place we should consider. I heard rumors… about a second krogan colony, established somewhere in this system.”

“Another colony? Here, in Zaubray?” Sara’s astonished. She turns to Drack. “Have you heard about that?”

The old man shrugs. “Yes, there are rumors. But nobody knows where they’re settled. It’s not surprising. Krogan don’t trust easily, and they never forget.”

Sara knows what he’s referring to. Despite the agreement with New Tuchanka and the official promise of a long due appointment of a krogan as Pathfinder, everybody is aware that Morda’s cautious reserve toward the Initiative is still strong. Sara can’t really blame her. So far, the initiative has too rarely honored its promises.

And yet, she needs to find out where Rix has gone. This colony could be their only lead.

“SAM? Initiate a full scan of the system. If those rumors are true, I want to locate this place ASAP.”

In her back, Reyes clears his throat. “No need. Even SAM won’t spot it, it’s too close to the sun. But I can take us there in less than two hours.”

All eyes look at him, in shock. Except for Sara.

“You know about this?” She hardly represses a wry smile. “Of course, you do. You know all about shady business in Heleus…”

Reyes smiles back with the self-assured smirk of someone who is overly aware of his talents. “I told you I had useful connections.”

“And you didn’t say anything sooner?” Scott can’t help but ask.

“I was going to,” Reyes glowers at him before returning his attention to Sara, “but I figured it wouldn’t have mattered if Rix had gone to Elaaden. This colony is supposed to be a secret for a good reason. And to be honest, I’m not sure we’ll be welcome there. The krogan want to keep the Initiative as far away as possible from their business.”

“You mean they want to keep it out of Tann’s greedy hands… I get it.” Sara crosses her arms over her chest. “What is this place, exactly?”

“The krogan have a mining colony on an asteroid drifting into the sun’s orbit. There’s a high concentration of carbon, titanium, and other minerals, don’t ask me the details. They trade it with anybody who can afford to pay their price… and who’s willing to respect their privacy.”

“And you think Rix could have gone there?”

“I don’t see why not. Docks are large enough to accommodate his ship. All sorts of business happen there… And lots of angara are stationed at the port. They helped the krogan getting settled and now they’re doing business with them. I think it’s worth checking out.”

“I think so, too,” Sara approves. A plan is already drawing up in her head. “We’ll pretend we need to restock. Vetra will handle the docks manager and ask questions around, while Drack and I hit the bar.”

She sees Reyes frowning at the news, but she ignores him and looks at the krogan. “It’s just the two of us this time, old man. Are you up for it?”

“Sure, kiddo.” He grins wildly, showing his teeth. “I’m always ready for some ryncol. The question is, are you?”

“We’re not going there to get drunk, Drack… You realize this is an excuse to sneak around, right?”

“Who said anything about getting drunk?” he snorts indignantly. “Ryncol is the best way to a krogan’s heart, that’s all. You want answers? You’re gonna need ryncol.”

Sara’s only half convinced, but she can’t deny there’s a certain wisdom behind this statement. And she admits she’s glad that she has the old krogan to watch her back. She can’t afford to draw too much attention to her whereabouts, and she’s going to need him if she wants to investigate without being bothered.

She dismisses him with an approving nod. “I’ll meet you later in the cargo bay.”

 

One by one, her teammates start to get out of the room, and Sara prepares to leave. But she stops suddenly when her gaze falls on Reyes. Despite the darkness of the room, the tension on his face is all too visible, and she knows what he’s about to say even before he opens his mouth. But she lets him no time to speak.

“It’s safer if you don’t come with us.”

“I’ll be more useful on the ground, with you,” he protests from his seat.

“Not this time. Only Drack and I are going.” Without waiting for an answer, she turns around and walks to the airlock.

Reyes gets up with haste and follows her. “It could be dangerous.”

Sara waits until the doors close behind them to answer him. “I know. But you cannot come. I need to blend in with the crowd, and you and I showing up hand in hand is not what I’d call blending in.”

“Don’t be silly. Let me talk to my contacts. I can get info faster than any of you.”

In other circumstances, his assurance would have made her laugh. But she can’t afford the luxury and instead shakes her head. “I don’t want you to get involved in this more than you already are. Drack and I, we’ll get the info.”

“By hitting the bar, seriously? That’s your plan?”

“Lots of things can be found in a bar.”

“Sure,” he sarcastically agrees. “Thieves and murderers, hit men, scoundrels, drunken spies, … The list can go on and on.”

“All sorts of shady bastards, yes. I know from experience.” A thin smile curls Sara's lips. “I'll be fine.”

Reyes can’t let it go. “And what if you can’t find any leads? What are you going to do next?”

“I’ll find something.” She pauses, biting her lower lip. “Reyes… I need to do this alone, okay? And you should use that time to get some rest. You look exhausted, you know.” An obvious concern fills her tone as she cups his face with one hand. “You’ve barely slept these days…”

He discards her comment immediately and takes her hand in his. “So have you. I have more important things to do than sleep. Let me come. Don’t force me to stay on board.”

“You’re not grounded if that’s what you’re afraid of. You can go wherever you want.” She frees herself from his hold and starts rummaging inside her locker. “But I don’t want you to investigate on my behalf.”

He recognizes that stubborn voice of hers, it tells him that she’s made her mind. But he has to try one last time. “If really you don’t want me there… at least take someone else with you. Ask Liam or Scott to come.”

“No. I don’t want to draw attention. But I won’t be unarmed, don’t forget I’ll have a krogan with me.” She slams the door of her locker. “And a gun. I won’t be defenseless.”

She shows him the shoulder holster and the Sidewinder pistol she just took from the compartment. She tries to sound confident. “See? I’ll be safe.”

But Reyes knows better than that, and he grabs her by the arm. “This is serious, Sara. A Pathfinder and his whole ship disappeared, and you think you’re safe with a krogan bodyguard and a concealed pistol? Don’t you remember what happened on Voeld?”

“I remember.” She grits her teeth and resolutely walks to the exit doors, an unusual harshness in her voice. “But I ain’t letting that change me. I won’t let them change who I am, Reyes. That’s a victory they’ll never get.”

She stops to look at him, a cold determination hardening in her gaze. “You hear me? I refuse to leave in constant fear. Whatever they did to me… I won’t let them have that, I owe it to myself. We all have our part to play, and I need you to fly this ship and get me safely to this place, okay?” Her voice softens. “The other part is not of you to take care of. You need to let me deal with this alone.”

Reyes helplessly watches her as she passes by the door of the airlock. “At least promise me that you won’t leave the port, ok?” he implores just before she turns into the hall and goes out of sight.

Sara doesn’t answer.

He represses an urgent need to run after her and tries to convince himself that she can defend herself. But still, he wonders.

 

Kallo’s stern voice draws him out of his thoughts. “I don’t mean to be rude… but flying a ship doesn’t only consists in entering coordinates. Now would be the perfect time to sit down and try to learn, Vidal. If you’re interested, of course,” he composedly declares.

“I need no lessons on how to fly a spaceship, dammit,” Reyes grumbles between his teeth. But he returns to his place and silently sits, pensive.

Next minutes are filled with the quiet beeps of the control panel and the roaring of the Tempest engines while he concentrates on the controls. He might never have piloted a ship as big as the Tempest other than in flight simulations, but he received a two-year extensive training and he knows by heart every Initiative procedure. And he’s a very capable and skilled pilot, too. He maneuvers with dexterity and, within minutes, their destination is confirmed and their route set.

Kallo gives him a pleasantly surprised glance, not commenting, and Reyes relaxes a bit in his seat. He even takes the liberty to turn on the comms and proudly announces, “ETA 1 hour and 34 minutes, Pathfinder.”

He doesn’t wait long before Sara’s voice illuminates the room with her brief laughter. “I see my ship is in good hands.”

“Nothing but the best for the Tempest,” Reyes jokes with satisfaction.

Kallo awkwardly coughs to get their attention. “What are your orders once we reach the location, Ryder?”

In comparison, he never sounded so stern and professional, and a faint smile appears on Sara’s lips. “Just… keep a low profile, Kallo. Don’t forget we’re on holiday. Let’s stick to the plan and get this done.”

“As you command.”

Seconds later, the ship accelerates and blasts off in direction of the asteroid belt orbiting around the Zaubray sun.

 

***

 

The moment the Tempest is docked and the ramp lowered, Vetra leaves the ship. Sara and Drack go right after her, and Reyes observes them heading to the only bar of the area, whose questionable reputation is even worse than Tartarus. He waits a while, peering through the bridge window and making sure that they aren’t getting into trouble already. Once reassured, at least on that matter, he mumbles an excuse to his co-pilot and gets into motion. He has his own investigation to carry out.

Sara said he could go wherever he wanted. Since she refused his help, he might as well make good use of that time and try to sort the problem of this road construction on Kadara. That’s an opportunity to kill two birds with one stone that he cannot miss, and he intends to find out what happened to those supplies that never made it to Kadara-Port.

 

He quickly changes clothes in Sara’s bedroom. Dark pants and boots, black sweater and leather jacket, the perfect set to keep a low profile. He sneaks out of the Tempest, checking behind his shoulder that no one is following him. He shivers involuntarily despite the ambient heat, both in fear and excitement. Zipping up his jacket, he looks around.

Many cargo ships are on the docks at the moment, and the place is a hive of activity. In every corner, hurried people are loading and unloading crates with the assistance of huge caterpillars. The stench of fuel and gasoline is overwhelming. Toxic vapors overfill the protective dome shielding the artificial platform, despite the powerful air conditioning systems constantly working to make the air breathable. Reyes coughs uncomfortably.

The population around him is mostly krogan, but he spots lots of angara, too. And only a few humans. He pulls the hood over his head and, thrusting his hands into his pockets, he gets lost into the crowd. He has done this so many times, it’s as easy as breathing.

As he crosses the port, he hears in the distance the grumble of the excavators’ pump systems, digging day and night deeper into the asteroid buildup. Despite the everlasting darkness veiling the station, Reyes knows this place never sleeps. All slums are alike. The atmosphere is saturated with the metallic screams of the machinery, a strong and acrid smell of stale sweat, and the lingering taint of shady business. He almost feels at home.

The housing part of the station consists of a u-shaped cluster of prefab structures, agglutinated on top of one another. Despite the shadows, Reyes notices hundreds of pipes running on every part of the asteroid, cutting it open to the core. The krogan are greedy, and they are exploiting every bit of the natural and abundant material offered by the carbonaceous structure of the giant floating rock. The Initiative never considered making it a colony, due to the proximity of the Zaubray sun and its intense radiation. But the krogan thrive in such extreme conditions, and nothing could stop them from draining all possible resources, challenging both the laws of gravity and the Initiative dominion over the Heleus cluster.

He’s somehow admirative of their resilience.

He wastes no time and moves towards the main elevator, guarded by two armed krogan. Reyes knows the drill, he’s come here before. He raises his omnitool and, transferring 100 credits to the dock’s management, he simply announces, “I’m here for Vordak Tragor.”

The guard on his left nods briskly and opens the grid for him. “Fifth floor. Don’t cause trouble.”

Reyes doesn’t answer. He gets in the elevator and presses the button. Once the doors have closed, he runs a nervous hand in his hair and makes sure that the hood still covers his face. He doesn’t want to be recognized by anyone, not if he can help it. He steps out of the lift as soon as it stops and walks his way among a maze of narrow alleys, metal bridges, and dead ends. He passes a sharp corner and swiftly turns into a backstreet that seems deserted. Glancing over his shoulder one last time, and satisfied to see that no one is lurking, he opens the only door in the dark passage and enters a small room, lit by a single electric lamp. He has no time to look around that he feels a gun pointing to his head, and he hears the distinct sound of a shotgun being armed. He freezes.

“Who the fuck are you?” A cold and gravelly voice barks near to him.

Reyes slowly raises his hands in a soothing gesture. “Tragor. Is that how you welcome your old friends?”

“Vidal. I almost didn’t recognize you.” The krogan produces a strangled gurgle, and the pressure of the gun on Reyes’ temple slightly eases. “Since when are we friends? Friends pay their debt… and you failed to honor our last arrangement.”

“I failed to pay only because you failed to deliver the promised materials, and you know it. Now put down that gun,” Reyes pushes it aside and takes down his hood, “and offer me a drink. We need to talk.”

Tragor looks at him, his piercing eyes assessing him. He finally drops his gun and motions Reyes to take a seat at the table in the middle of the room.

Reyes sits with relief. He remains silent while the krogan takes a couple of bottles from a crate and hands him one. He sniffs it suspiciously. “What is this? Ryncol?”

“Yeah, but don’t worry. It’s so diluted that you won’t even feel it. Times have been rough lately,” Tragor grunts in annoyance. “Morda has rationed our supplies. What can we do?”

He raises his bottle and Reyes drinks with him, hardly repressing a sudden and violent cough when the alcohol burns his throat and kicks his guts. Diluted or not, this beverage seems lethal enough to kill him. He sits back and cautiously puts his drink down on the table, determined not to touch it again.

“So, tell me,” Tragor goes on after downing at least half of his bottle in one sip, “what are you doing here? It must be pretty serious if the Charlatan sent me his favorite dog.”

The krogan naturally assumed that he was here on a mission for the Collective, and Reyes isn’t going to contradict him.

He cocks his head. “No, the Charlatan’s not happy. We never received that last order. You fucked up, Tragor. Roads on Kadara aren’t going to build themselves, and he’s currently paying construction workers just to sit around. He wants those materials.”

“I don’t know what to tell you. The shipment left on time, it should have arrived.” The krogan shrugs and empties the rest of his drink with a disgusting gurgle. He eyes Reyes’ bottle and licks his lips. “Are you going to drink this?”

“Cut the bullshit.” Reyes bangs his fist on the table, making the bottle and the krogan jump. “I’m not buying it. Tell me what happened. You owe me. If I had not secured you a passage to Elaaden during the mutiny on the Nexus, you wouldn’t be here right now…”

“I owe you nothing. I’ve paid you back a long time ago. And you bring that up every time we see each other. It’s getting old, Vidal.”

Reyes coldly sniggers. “We don’t meet that often. Come on, tell me what you know. Or I’ll tell the Charlatan he’d better go elsewhere to buy the things he needs.” He crosses his arms over his chest, daring the krogan with eyes sharper than the knife he concealed in his boot. He doesn’t wait for long.

“Ok, ok. No need to threaten me. But I’m gonna need this, first.” Tragor grabs the second bottle and slurps eagerly the liquid courage. He wipes his mouth and grumbles, “Your shipment… was requisitioned.”

“Requisitioned? By who?”

“The Matriarch herself, who do you think?”

“Morda?”

Tragor nods. “But it wasn’t for her… it was for a group of newcomers. Angara. They seemed important.”

Loud warning bells irrupt in Reyes’ mind. He straightens up in his chair. “Are they still here? Where can I find them?”

“I have no idea. I don’t, really,” Tragor adds when he sees Reyes’ dubious frown. “Those guys… you don’t find them. They find you. Don’t mess with them, Vidal.”

Is it fear in the krogan’s eyes? Reyes finds it hard to believe. “Why? Have you seen them?”

“That’s the thing… nobody has.”

Reyes inwardly swears. He doesn’t like what he hears. “Tell me everything you know.”

“I’ve said too much already.” Tragor shakes his head. “Look, I'm sorry about your shipment. I'll give you a discount on your next order to make up for it. But I won't say no more about those angara. And you didn’t hear anything of this from me, ok?”

His lips remain stubbornly shut after that, and Reyes understands that it’d be pointless to insist. Something frightens the krogan more than any threat he could make.

He gets up on his feet and prepares to leave. But he hesitates. Sara specifically asked him not to investigate for her, but if those angara are the same ones that attacked her… he can’t miss that opportunity.

He turns one last time to the krogan. “One more thing… I assume you’re aware that the human Pathfinder is here?”

Tragor’s face relaxes into a half-smile. “You mean that this fine vessel currently docked in the port is not yours? Hell yeah, the whole station knows that your precious Pathfinder is here. What about it?”

“Did another Pathfinder came here recently?” Reyes asks bluntly.

The krogan’s features immediately contort into a grim expression. “Damn, Vidal. You surely are looking for trouble…”

“Answer me, Tragor.”

“I can’t help you with that. I don’t know anything about any Pathfinder or what might have happened to them if ever they landed here. But maybe they shouldn’t have come here in the first place.”

Tragor’s red eyes stare at him for a second. He leans forward in his seat, pointing a finger at him. “Listen to me. I like doing business with you, Vidal, so I’m going to give you one piece of advice. And if you have a little bit of common sense in this tiny pretty head of yours, you’ll take it and leave. Don’t fucking ask about those things, you hear me? And tell your sweet friend to stop sneaking around, too. We don’t like people interfering in our business. We want nothing to do with the Initiative. Nothing,” he repeats forcefully.

Reyes unconsciously shivers. The warning in the krogan’s tone sounds more like an ultimatum than a friendly counsel, and a violent urge to talk to Sara overwhelms him. She might be in danger.

He doesn’t even say goodbye to Tragor. He just wants to make sure that she’s safe.

 

When he gets out of there, he’s distracted. He sneaks into the alley without checking for any presence behind him and heads as fast as possible back to the elevator. In his hurry, he runs into an angara that was passing by and angrily shoves him out of his way. The angara stumbles and falls on the ground with a muffled shout, drawing curious and shocked stares from the people nearby.

Taking a deep breath to restrain his exasperation, Reyes stops and holds out his hand to him, an apology on his lips. But he suddenly freezes when he spots a swift movement in his peripheral vision. A dark silhouette is darting away from the scene, his head covered with a black hood. The shape of his legs clearly indicates that he’s angara. But the biggest angara Reyes has ever seen. His broad shoulders are almost too large to fit in the narrow alley.

Pulled by an irrepressible need, Reyes follows him.

The angara doesn’t look back, not once. He turns successively into several alleys, and Reyes concentrates to mentally map the directions they’re taking. It’s easy to get lost in those slums. As they proceed further among the maze of dimly-lit streets, the crowd thins out. The zone is deserted, and Reyes’ chase gets harder. He can’t risk being seen and has to wait until the angara has left the alley before following him in. He manages to stay close enough a couple of times but, after one more corner, his hunt abruptly comes to an end. The angara is gone.

He lost him.

Reyes peers around, searching for any clue that could tell him where the other man went. There’s not a single soul in sight, no traces, in any direction. The intersection in which he stands is completely silent but for a strange vibration, echoing along the walls. He stoops down to run his hand on the metal floor. It’s slightly shaking, as if someone was walking on it.

When he understands, it’s too late.

An invisible foot kicks him in the chest, and Reyes helplessly falls back on the ground, where he lands on his butt. The angara appears out of nowhere in front of him, his cloaking shield vanishing and finally revealing his sneering grey face under his hood. Reyes instantly recognizes him. It’s the waiter who served them their food, that first night when Sara came back to Kadara. It looks like him, at least.

He has no time to think. He reaches out to the knife in his boot, but in a fraction of second, the angara is on him. He moves fast, faster than expected given his corpulence. He sits on Reyes and immobilizes him, pinning his arms along his torso and straddling him with both legs.

His rival is too heavy. And too strong, Reyes can’t fight him. He feels his chest’s about to explode. Ache bursts inside his lungs, compressed and paralyzed by his opponent weight. A sharp pain shoots through his rib cage, and he distinctively hears the cracking sound of bones breaking. Dark spots are obscuring his vision, and he chokes, struggling to breathe. The angara leans forward, relieving some of the pressure on Reyes’ chest. He avidly sucks in a harsh breath, regardless of the burst of pain.

The angara’s face is so close to him that Reyes can smell his fetid breath on his cheek. Dark eyes are fixed on him, a wild bestiality running free in his enemy’s stare. Whatever happened to him, there’s no trace of the blue irises that all angara have; the folds of flesh on the sides of his head are of a cloud grey shade, as cold as stone. He’s not angara anymore.

He whispers in Reyes’ ear, his low-pitched voice carrying a thick, guttural accent. “I should kill you.”

“You can… try,” Reyes groans, fighting with all his strength the creature’s hold.

But his rival is stronger, and he forces him to stay put. He shows a row of jagged teeth and utters, “ _Shur nisha kiila._ ”

His translator doesn’t pick that up. “What the fuck…” Reyes coughs, “does that mean?”

The alien smiles wildly. “You tell the pathryder. _Shur nisha kiila_. You hear me, human?” He raises one hand and, pressing on a small device planted at the back of his neck, he disappears into thin air.

The weight of his opponent leaves Reyes’ chest, at last. He sits up with haste, yelping in pain as the sound of hurried footsteps fades away into the darkness.

He looks around him with wide, incredulous eyes. Everything happened so fast, and now his enemy is gone. He slams a fist onto the ground out of anger, rage, frustration. And pain. It hurts like hell.

He needs to find Sara and go back to the Tempest, as quickly as possible. He gets on his feet, leaning on the walls to keep his balance, and starts making his way back to the elevator with difficulty. Each step draws panting breaths from his tired lungs, but he keeps on walking. Holding his painful rib cage in his hands, he assesses the damage under his sweater.

Shit. He counts at least two cracked ribs.

 

There’s no way Sara won’t notice _that_.


	13. Disease

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The one where it begins

Sara looks around her, repressing a sigh of frustrated boredom. The bar is crowded at this hour, though she suspects that the hustle never stops in this place. Drinking and howling krogan occupy all tables and chairs, bargaining with the same vigor they put in downing their beverage as quickly as possible. On top of all the noise and animation, a loud and electronic beat runs over the metal walls of the room and drowns all attempts to eavesdrop on the conversations nearby. She can’t even hear what Drack is saying, and he’s sitting right next to her.

He spotted an old acquaintance from the Milky Way the moment they stepped into the bar, and ever since he’s been engaged in a krogan ritual that Sara still isn’t quite completely accustomed to. As predicted, it involves a lot of ryncol. And also, lots of swearing while they recall past memories from places Sara has never heard of. She gave up trying to listen to their conversation about 10 minutes ago, nervously toying with her drink on the bar counter. If it wasn’t for the knowing wink Drack gave her before turning to his friend, she would have interrupted them earlier. But she trusts the old krogan, and so she let him carry on.

She had only one sip of ryncol, but somehow it feels like she had a whole bottle. It is too hot in this bar, and the constant, deafening noise prevents her from thinking clearly. Faces around her melt in the dim light and shadows grow along the poorly lit walls with impatient claws.

Her fingers squeeze hard on her glass. She clenches her jaw, swallowing sharply.

Her neck. It tingles.

She fights the need to reach out her arm once again, but it’s getting more and more difficult. Maybe she should talk to Lexi? She doesn’t want to. It would only lead to another pointless series of medical tests… 

 

Fortunately, SAM breaks into her thoughts and distracts her by speaking to her on their private channel. “I detect that Mr. Vidal is leaving the Tempest, Pathfinder.”

Sara’s not surprised. Reyes knew about this colony, and so that obviously means he has business going on here. That doesn’t bother her, not really. He must have his reasons to sneak out of the ship. Her only hope is that he knows what he’s doing.

“He is now crossing the port,” the AI goes on. “Do you wish me to monitor his whereabouts?”

Her fingers fidget indecisively around her glass for a few seconds. The offer is tempting, indeed, and Sara admits she’s curious. With SAM’s assistance, she could find out what’s been troubling Reyes so much, and maybe she could even figure out a way to help him. But in the end, she decides against it. It wouldn’t be fair. She doesn’t want to be that person, it is so unlike her. She’s mad at herself for merely considering the option.

She sets her drink aside. “No, SAM, no need. And please, never offer to do that again. Whatever Reyes is up to, it doesn’t concern us.”

“Then why are you so tense, if I may ask?”

That’s a tough question. There are so many answers that Sara doesn’t know which one to choose. “Because… Shit, I don’t know, SAM. Because I’m curious, though I shouldn’t be. And also because I fear for him, alright? He made it very clear we are in a dangerous place. I don’t like knowing that he’s alone out there… but I trust him. I have to. I didn’t invite him on board my ship to start tracking his every movement. He’s a free man.”

“I understand. You value others’ freedom over your own fears and worries.”

“You make me sound like a better person than I am... But yes, it just… it’s the right thing to do,” Sara concedes. She glances around, hoping to end the conversation.

A red light in the far corner of the room draws her attention. Sitting alone at a table in the shadows near the wall, a strange-looking angara is smoking one of those cigarillos Sara has often seen the Exiles smoking on Kadara. Reyes himself always carries a pack with him, and though he pretends it’s only in case he needs to get someone’s favor or to close a deal after a hard bargain, she knows he prefers these cigarillos to the cigarettes he keeps for her only. Even at this distance, she recognizes the smell.

But Keema is the only angara she has ever seen smoking, Sara now realizes. Her curiosity is instantly aroused.

She can only see the stranger’s hands. In spite of the ambient heat, he’s wearing a hood which covers most of his head. But she sees the gleam of his eyes while he takes a long puff, a thick smoke blurring the rest of his features. Sara has the distinct feeling that the angara’s looking back at her. She can’t explain it, she just knows. Her heartbeat increases. The more she tries to concentrate on him, the more he seems to merge with the shadows. As if he was surrounded only by silence, protected by a dead zone. As if he didn’t belong here.

She unconsciously shivers. She watches the angara raising a hand to the back of his neck, a cold and spine-chilling sensation spreading on the surface of her skin. The familiar and scratchy tingle creeps up her spine, covering her back and nape in a light sweat.

It desperately itches. Her neck.

She can’t hold it back, this time. Her stiffening fingers grab her neck, and her dry throat releases a gulping sound. She almost feels nauseous.

 

“Are you okay, kiddo?” Next to her, Drack is closely watching her.

Sara's face has become pale. With effort, she finally manages to take her eyes off the mysterious angara. She forces her hand to lay down by her side. “We’re being watched, Drack.”

“Seems rather obvious, Ryder. Every krogan in this port knows that we’re here by now. What did you expect?”

“This one is not krogan,” she murmurs. She gestures towards the shadows at the other end of the room. “Have you seen this guy?”

Drack suspiciously looks in the indicated direction. “Where?”

“At the table, in the back corner.”

But her friend shakes his head. “There is no one.”

“What?” Sara turns to the table where the angara was sitting only a moment ago. But Drack is right, the seat is empty. The unfinished cigarillo burning in the ashtray is the only evidence that she didn’t dream the whole scene. That, and the burning tingle in her neck.

She curses out loud. “Fuck. He was just there. I swear.”

She gets up with apprehension, ignoring the worry in her friend’s eyes. The angara is nowhere to be seen, Drack must think that she’s going crazy. She walks to the table, raising her omnitool to scan the perimeter. “SAM? Please tell me I’m not going insane.”

“You are not, Pathfinder.” The AI’s comforting voice comes to her rescue. “My sensors pick up an electric signature moving from this seat to the exit doors. The person who was sitting there must have activated a cloaking shield, and he is now gone.”

“Could you follow him?”

“Yes, of course. I can trail the energetic signal emitted by this particular individual.”

“Do it.” Sara motions Drack to come with her and gets out of the bar, the krogan at her heels.

“What’s going on, Ryder?” he asks. “Who are we following?”

“I don’t know yet.” She makes sure that nobody is listening to their conversation. “Anything interesting on your side?”

“Not really,” Drack answers sourly. “All I could find out is that there’s a new faction in town. But it’s all very hush-hush, believe me. People are scared, and I don’t like that.”

“I don’t like it either, Drack. But if people don’t want to talk to us, I guess we’ll have to get the info by ourselves.” A fierce determination appears on her face. “Where are we going, SAM?”

“To the main elevator. The signal has reached the fifth floor, but I need to get closer in order to keep on tracking it.”

“Fifth floor it is, then.” Sara heads for the elevator and the two armed krogan protecting its entrance.

Drack grabs her by the wrist to slow her down. “Let me do the talking, okay?” he cautions her.

He turns to the guards and greets them with a stern nod of the head. “I am Nakmor Drack. The kid and I,” he points at Ryder, “we need to get to the fifth floor.”

The krogan near him scans the both of them with wary eyes, his glance lingering a bit longer on Sara. “You look familiar… Do I know you?”

“No, you don’t. She has very common features, like all humans.” Drack intervenes before she has a chance to speak, and the guard turns back to him.

“Do you vouch for her?”

“Yes. Like I said, we just need to use the lift. No troubles.” Drack raises a soothing hand in the air. “And we’re willing to pay… for privacy.”

“Hm… That’ll be 500 credits. Each,” the krogan snaps.

“What?” Sara can’t hold the exclamation crossing her lips. “That’s way too much!”

“Are you trying to bargain with me, human?” The krogan sentinel makes a step forward, raising a menacing gun in her direction.

Drack seems utterly annoyed. “Ryder…” he warns her in a low groan.

Not intimidated at all, Sara straightens her shoulders and stands tall in front of the guard. “I’m just saying. He’s a krogan, he should get a discount.” She meets his gaze without blinking an eye and, for a tense instant, no one says a word.

“Okay. 200 for the old krogan, and 500 for you.”

With a satisfied smirk, but not commenting, Sara transfers the money from her omnitool and gets in the elevator, followed by Drack.

“You couldn’t help it, could you?” he grumbles as soon as the doors are shut.

Sara shrugs and rests her back on the metal wall of the cage. “Nope.”

“One of these days, you’re really gonna get me killed, kiddo… And for what? A few hundred credits?”

“Oh, stop whining. We’re fine, nothing happened. I’ll put that money into the pot for your funeral if it makes you feel better.”

A faint tremor runs over Drack’s shoulders next to her, and Sara cracks a smile when she realizes he’s laughing. “I mean, that’s the very least I can do, considering all the troubles I put you through,” she adds playfully.

Drack represses another burst of laughter and resumes to his usual grumpiness. “Right. But don’t think too hard about my funeral… I still have a few good years to watch your back. And to play with your nerves.”

It’s Sara’s turn to chuckle, thankful for the brief recreation the banter provides her. She leans back on the wall and closes her eyes as the lift goes up. “I certainly hope so, old man. I certainly hope so...”

 

Sadly, the break is short-lived. SAM informs her of their arrival quicker than she would have thought, and the moment they step out of the elevator, he has more bad news to give her.

“Pathfinder, I am afraid there are too many people around us. I cannot triangulate the electric signal in these conditions. And I do not recommend turning on your scanner. That would only cause unwanted attention.”

Sara swears under her breath. How is she supposed to track that angara among this crowd?

“I, however, do not need a scan to detect Mr. Vidal’s corporal signature nearby. He’s coming your way,” SAM goes on.

She immediately spots him, despite the black hood covering his head. It’s not difficult, actually—besides herself, he’s the only human in the surroundings. He’s walking slowly, like he was afraid to touch the people around him. Keeping his head down, he hasn’t seen her yet.

“Reyes? What are you doing here?”

He raises his head, startled. He’s momentarily overwhelmed by relief at the sight of her being safe and sound, and hurries to join her.

He has no idea how he made it to the lift, to be honest. Breath short, legs and lungs weak, he stumbled across the narrow alleys with only one thought in mind: making sure that she was unhurt.

He stops a few feet away from her. Now that she’s in front of him, as surprised to see him as he is, he remembers that she wasn’t supposed to come up here. And that he surely didn’t want her to see him in such bad shape.

“I could ask you the same question. I told you to stay in the port area,” he replies noncommittally.

“Since when do I do as I’m told? You should know better.”

He frowns. “Are you following me?”

“Of course not. We’re after an angara I spotted in the bar. He was acting all weird, and he was wearing that black hood… And then he disappeared.”

Reyes involuntarily winces. “I might be a bit ahead of you. I think I met this one already.”

Sara flashes him an icy look. “I asked you not to nose into this, damnit Reyes!”

“I wasn’t nosing into anything.” He hesitates and darts a quick glance at Drack. “I had… other business to do.”

“Business with an angara? Here?”

“No, I came to see someone else. A krogan named Vordak Tragor. He’s an old friend of mine.”

Drack grunts loudly when Reyes mention this name. “Vordak, huh? There are only scums and criminals among the Vordak clan. You have weird acquaintances, Vidal…”

Reyes goes on like nothing happened. “The angara attacked me after I came out of Tragor’s office.” That’s the short version, but he prefers to keep the rest to himself. At least for now.

“He attacked you?" Sara takes a step toward him. "Are you hurt?” 

“I’ll be fine. Still breathing and everything. Don’t worry.”

Sara senses that he’s not telling the whole story. He’s paler than normal, and although he’s doing his best to hide it, he’s slightly panting. She’s only half-convinced but as usual, she doesn’t press for more. She checks her Sidewinder pistol under her jacket, then tilts her chin forward. “Show me where it happened.”

Reyes doesn’t even argue. Reluctantly, he turns around and leads the way.

 

Each movement is torture, but Reyes doesn’t complain. When they reach their destination, the place is still deserted. He casually leans on the wall to rest his tired lungs and gestures toward the floor. “There. Time to work your magic.”

Sara’s already on it, and so is SAM. The AI soon announces that he gathered enough data to continue following the angara. Sara eagerly directs her omnitool in the pointed direction and starts walking, not bothering to wait for her companions.

“Can you make it, Vidal?” Drack pauses for Reyes, who’s gathering his strength. “You don’t look so good.”

Drack is well aware that something’s not right. His wide, prying eyes are fixed on him, and Reyes is suddenly petrified by the thought that maybe he _knows_. It’s silly, but damn the krogan and their superior developed senses.

Reyes wordlessly returns his inquisitive stare, not quite sure of what to say.

“I know a thing or two about pain, you know. Can’t hide that from me,” Drack answers his mute question with a shrug.

“Don't worry about me.” Reyes gets into motion to end the conversation and goes after Sara, silently praying that his legs won’t betray him. He feels the weight of the old krogan’s gaze on his back, but he ignores it the best he can.

Luckily, they don’t have to go very far. After a couple of intersections, it becomes clear that Reyes’ attacker was heading back to the elevator. A few steps later, SAM sadly confirms that the electric signature definitely stopped emitting. They have lost the trail.

“He must have deactivated the device making him invisible, Pathfinder. I cannot track him any further.”

Sara’s obviously furious and releases her frustration by spewing out a long list of swear words and loud curses. “I don’t care if I have to scan every inch of this asteroid or how many people I have to bribe. I will find them.”

Anger is making her shake as she faces Reyes. “You have to tell me. Who was this angara? Tell me everything. What did he look like? Did he say anything?” Her voice rises uncontrollably.

Reyes clears his throat. “Shouldn’t we head back to the Tempest, first? This isn’t the best of places to discuss this.” He’s getting dizzy after all those efforts, and he’s relieved to hear Drack approving in his back.

“Yes, Ryder. There’s nothing more we can do here. Maybe Vetra had more luck.”

Her eyes dart from Reyes to Drack with agitation. As unwilling as she is to give up the search, she must have perceived the urge in Reyes’ voice. Her anger fades away, replaced by an increasing apprehension. She’s about to say something but bites her tongue and instead, she pinches her lips together.

After looking one last time at Reyes, she presses the button to call the elevator. “You’d better hope she found something. Or else I’ll start scanning.”

 

The return trip to the ship is silent. The old krogan keeps looking at the floor while the elevator takes them down, unaware of the many sideways glances Reyes and Sara mutely exchange over his shoulders. She gets out the moment they hit ground level, closely followed by Drack.

But Reyes is lagging behind. The dust and polluted particles saturating the air of the port reach his nostrils, and he needs to repress a violent coughing fit. A splitting headache is insidiously gaining the back of his head, a burning fever boiling in his veins. For a second, he’s not sure he’s going to be able to cross the port. Fortunately, the wave of sickness comes and goes, and the feeling vanishes. He hurries to join Sara, who’s waiting for him with growing concern in her eyes.

He feels even better once the ramp of the Tempest is shut behind them, his lungs joyfully welcoming the fresh air provided by the ventilation system. Flashing a smile he hopes to be confident at Sara, he tries to reassure her. “I’m fine.”

“No, you’re not.” Sara abruptly stops in the middle of the cargo bay. “You are wounded. Let me see.”

“No, no need–”

But too late. Sara already took off her gloves and seized his sweater, pulling it up with swift fingers. He’s surprised by the warmth and gentleness of her hands, assessing the tender spots in his rib area. There’s no apparent bruise, but both she and Reyes wince as she runs her delicate fingers along his chest—Reyes from the pain, and Sara from the realization of the gravity of his injury.

“Shit, Reyes. You have two broken ribs.”

“I know.”

She gives him a dark look for only answer, anger and worry mixed all together. Her eyes don’t leave him for a second, and she gestures towards the hallway and dismisses the old krogan, who witnessed the whole scene. “Leave us alone.”

Drack glances at her with nervous circumspection, then at Reyes. He seems sorry for him, but he nods briskly at Sara. “Sure, Ryder. I’ll be next door if you need me.”

The sound of his footsteps has not vanished yet that Sara faces Reyes. He knows that expression of hers. He knows what he’s in for, and he’s not surprised when she finally explodes.

“Really? ... That’s your way of not getting involved? What the hell is wrong with you? You could have been killed, for fuck’s sake!”

“I didn’t get involved on purpose,” he calmly retorts. “I told you. I spotted this angara, something about him was… odd, as you’ve said so yourself. So, I followed him.”

“Oh, he just happened to be there, that’s what you’re trying to say?”

“Exactly.”

Arms crossed over her chest with defiance, Sara doesn’t respond. Reyes could almost hear her gritting her teeth. Her sudden fury brought a warm flush to her cheeks, and her eyes are shooting sparks of cold furor. Her foot stomping in exasperation on the floor, she’s waiting for an explanation.

Looking at her like that, all reddened and raging, makes him want to smile. An unexpected and infinite tenderness overwhelms his heart to see her in such an angry posture, the dull pain in his rib cage completely forgotten. A little chuckle escapes his throat.

“What?” she asks, confused by his reaction.

He grabs her waist, a disarming and broad smile spreading over his face. “You’re too cute right now, that’s all.”

Sara can’t believe what he just said. She pushes him away, grumbling between her two pouting lips. “I’m not cute, I’m angry! You realize I’m angry at you, right?”

Reyes holds her again, undeterred. “I know. But you’re just adorable when you’re mad at me. Sorry, I can’t help it.”

She silently gauges him, trying to figure out if she should be mad or just leave it be. In the end, her worry wins over her anger. Her expression softens. “If you think you can get away with that by being charming…”

“Hey, I seized an opportunity, that’s all. You would have done exactly the same thing, so don’t even think about lecturing me. Besides, you’re not mad at me, not for real. You’re mad at the situation.”

Sara’s mouth snaps into a tight, straight line. “Still. You should have told me sooner that you were hurt. You need a doctor.”

“No doctors can cure broken ribs, all I need to get better is time. We have more important things to do right now. Listen…”

Reyes sits on a nearby crate and pauses briefly, wincing in pain. He takes her hands in his, pulling her closer to him. It’s somehow easier to breathe if she’s next to him, he doesn’t know why. But it’s comforting. He inhales deeply and starts explaining.

Sara remains quiet as he tells her everything that happened, the warning in the krogan’s tone and his ultimatum regarding the Initiative. She frowns but doesn’t comment. Reyes goes on and explains how the angara led him into a trap and pinned him to the ground before he could react. He hesitates at that point, unsure of what to say next. He doesn’t want to go into too many details about his attacker’s appearance. The transformations he witnessed in the angara’s features scared the hell out of him, even if he won’t admit it.

“Don’t spare me, Reyes.” Sara’s hands are holding his with force to prevent her fingers from shaking.

“He wasn’t angara anymore,” he reluctantly continues after a while. “The physical transformation had begun. But I recognized him. He was from Kadara.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes. Remember that angara waiter at the burger shop? He was probably already infiltrated.”

“So, he knew you could recognize him, but he showed you his face… They’re playing with us. They’re fucking playing with us!” She clenches her fists. “And why would he attack you if he didn’t want to kill you? It doesn’t make sense.”

“I really wanted to ask, but I guess he was too busy crushing my rib cage to answer me, anyway.” Reyes flashes her a contrite smile and rubs his aching chest one more time.

Sara's hand lets go of his. “Come on, be serious. He didn’t say anything to you?”

He sighs. “He… wanted me to deliver a message.”

“Tell me.”

Reyes concentrates to recall what exactly the angara told him. _How_ he told him. With an air of malignant superiority and feral bestiality, that still makes Reyes shiver deep inside.

“ _Shur nisha kiila_ ,” he repeats grudgingly, the words leaving a sour taste of bitterness on his tongue. He anxiously looks at Sara. “Do you have any idea what it means?”

“I must have missed Tonaizhet classes.” She grimaces in return. “SAM? Any idea?”

“I’m working on it, Pathfinder.” It only takes the AI a few seconds. “Deducing from what we know of kett language, this could literally be translated by ‘Change has begun’.”

Sara brutally shrinks back. Her jaw drops, her pupils dilating with horror. She covers her mouth with one hand while the other reaches up to the back of her neck.

Reyes has seen her making this gesture so many times over the past few days. He now understands that it wasn’t innocent, not at all. She was searching for something—a trace, a mark, some sort of sign that the transformation had, indeed, begun.

She knew.

He recalls in a blur the angara touching his own neck and disappearing into thin air right in front of him, and a shiver runs down his spine. He gets on his feet with haste, ignoring the sharp burst of pain firing in his chest, and lovingly takes back her hand into his to stop her.

“Sara… don’t.” He holds his breath as he grabs her neck and presses her head against him, flooded with relief when his fingers only meet the softness of her skin. For a moment, he thought he was going to find something on the back of her neck. “Don’t think about that. You got time. You’re not turning.”

“Who are you trying to convince, Reyes? Me, or yourself?” she asks with a sad little snort. “But you’re right. Thinking about that won’t make it any better. It doesn’t matter. None of this matters. Those damn angara, they just want to mess with me. I won’t listen.” Her voice doesn’t tremble, despite the dreadful reality behind her words.

As Reyes is about to answer, his throat suddenly constricts, his lungs scratchy and abrasive. He sucks in a sharp breath and immediately starts coughing loudly.

Sara looks at him with concern. But his cough is not getting away. It gets even worse and intensifies, out of control. Each contraction aggravates the stress on his rib cage, and black spots obscure his vision. Blood hammering into his veins, he bends forwards and needs to rest a hand on the wall to keep his balance. Gradually, he regains his composure and some colors on his face.

When he raises his head, Sara’s eyes are fixed on him. Wearing her gravest expression, she is more determined than ever. “Alright, that’s it. No excuse, this time. You go and see Lexi.”

Now that he manages to breathe properly, Reyes tries to keep a lighter tone. “You’re giving me orders now?” He gives her a poor smile in the vain hope that she won’t insist.

“Hell yes, I am.” She cuts him off before he can protest. “You need a doctor. You have two broken ribs, and you’ve had that nasty cough since we came back from Voeld. Don’t think I didn’t notice. You prefer to be the one telling me to be reasonable and not the other way around, I know… But for once, do as you’re told. Please. I’d feel better after you’ve seen a doctor.”

He can’t argue with the genuine worry in her eyes, so he nods resignedly. “Fine… I’ll go later.”

“No. You go now.” Her implacable resolution leaves him no choice. “Do I have to take you there myself?”

Reyes shakes his head, silently cursing because it instantly awakens a new throbbing pulsation inside his chest.

“Good.” Sara’s voice calms down. “I’ll tell Lexi that you’re coming. In the meantime, I’ll go and check on Vetra. Let me know when you’re done, okay?”

He wordlessly agrees. He’s too tired to fight. Reassured, Sara heads to the ladder leading to the upper bridge, leaving him alone. With a sigh, Reyes drags himself along the hallway to the med bay.

 

He stops a few steps away from the doors, closed before him. He’s reluctant to enter. He shifts uncomfortably from one foot to another and takes a minute to mentally prepare what he’s going to tell the doctor. But he has no time to figure out how exactly he could refuse to answer her questions without being rude, that the doors open in front of him.

Apparently, Lexi was waiting for him. “Reyes. Ryder just told me you were coming.” She motions him to come in and points at the bed. “Sit here while I calibrate the scanner. It won’t take long.”

He makes a hesitant step inside, the doors shutting in his back at once. But he decides to remain on the threshold. He understands why Sara hates coming to the med bay so much. The place is too neat, too cold. The buzzing of the scanner making its adjustments reminds him of the last time he was in a room like this one, not so long ago. And the scan of Sara’s body currently displayed on the giant screen doesn’t make it easier. He avoids looking at it.

He swallows nervously. “That won’t be necessary.”

Lexi turns to him, interrogation running in her eyes. “But Ryder said–”

“I know what she said.” Reyes breathes in slowly. The ache in his bones is waking up once again, this time stronger than ever. He casually rests his back on the wall, hoping the doctor won’t pick up on his current distress. “I appreciate the thought, but I don’t need examination.”

Absolutely not fooled, Lexi walks to him. “You let me be the judge of that. I notice you breathe a bit noisily. Did your chest ever wheeze or make whistling sounds prior to the attack? Did you experience any weakness, dizziness, or general fatigue?”

“That’s none of your concern.” Reyes stops her before she gets too close. His heart is pounding louder and louder between his ribs. He takes a deep breath, almost coughing on it. “Just give me something for the pain, doc. I can handle the rest myself.”

Lexi frowns. She tries with a gentle tone. “I need to make sure you don’t have a punctured lung. You could start developing a fever or worse, an infection. How are you going to handle that without a doctor?”

It is one thing to watch Lexi being all mother-like and worried about Sara, but it is another to be the center of her attention, Reyes now realizes. Though he’s touched by her kindness, he cannot let her proceed. He cannot risk her finding out. And he has to get out of here, quickly. He feels another burst rushing through his chest, about to break out in his lungs.

“I don’t need a doctor,” he hisses ragingly between his clenched teeth. He swallows back the uncomfortable warmth invading his throat. “Just give me the damn painkillers already and let me go.”

“You’re even more stubborn than Ryder…” Lexi seems utterly annoyed. “That’s not going to help her, you know. She needs to know you’re safe, Reyes. What am I supposed to tell her? That you refused treatment?”

He blankly looks back at her. “You tell her the truth. That I came to see you, that’s what she wanted. And that everything else is strictly within patient confidentiality.”

“I’m not sure I’m comfortable to do that… Technically, given that you refused my advice, you’re not my patient. And that’s quite a significant distortion of reality you’re asking me to make.”

“I’m not asking you to lie. It’s the truth.” Reyes crosses his arms over his chest. His eyes are as piercing as the excruciating pain rising from his every nerve, and Lexi finally gives up.

“I see it would be pointless to insist, so I won’t try to argue. But you know what I think of it.”

“Whatever.” His strangled groan sounded unnecessarily harsh, even to himself. But the truth is, he couldn’t refrain it. His throat is too hoarse.

“Take these three times a day during meals, for at least two days. It should ease your discomfort.” With one last severe glance, Lexi hands him the medication. “If this doesn’t work, don’t come asking for more,” she warns him.

Reyes doesn’t answer. He can’t. His lungs are on fire.

 

He rushes through the door, but he has barely made a few steps that he needs to lean on the wall in order to support his weight and catch his breath. He puts a hand on his mouth, struggling to keep quiet. In vain. He chokes.

He hears the doors of the med bay closing back. He’s now alone in the hallway, and he can’t hold it anymore.

A violent burst of cough shakes him from head to toe. He coughs and coughs irrepressibly, and it sounds as if his chest was torn apart from the inside. It feels like it, at least. But he coughs yet harder, unable to stop. His lungs contract over and over, an agonizing pain spreading from his broken ribs. And the bitter taste of blood blossoms inside his throat, rushing to the back of his tongue.

_No. No! Not now._

His mind fuzzy, he can’t think clearly. 

A terrible spasm makes his body jerk. Helpless, Reyes coughs one last time and spits in his hand, internally screaming. He lets himself slide along the wall and slowly onto the floor. The hand over his mouth falls to his side.

In shock, he needs a moment to open his clenched fist, one finger at a time. Trying not to shake, he incredulously looks at his trembling hand. His palm is covered with blood and so are his chin and his mouth, overwhelmed by a disgusting aftertaste of metal and acidity.

 _This shouldn’t be happening. Not yet._ Reyes gulps sharply. _Nakamoto said I had time. I was supposed to have more time._

That’s all he can think of as the echo of his breath fades away and silence fills again the empty hall, leaving him panting on the floor.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You’re probably all hating me by the end of this chapter…  
> But I’d love to know if anyone had seen this coming? It’s been hinted since a few chapters now, and I’m really curious to know how you feel about that. Please let me know ;)


	14. Every day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The one on board

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Quite a fluffy chapter... I hope you'll enjoy it all the same ;)

 

Sara stops on her way to the bridge. From the upper corridor, she watches Reyes as he hesitates for a while in front of the med bay entrance. An odd apprehension fills her heart and a shiver runs down her spine to see him in such distress, despite all his efforts to hide it. And it pains her, greatly.

Because the truth is, she’s blaming herself.

Everything that has happened is her fault. Her decision to take him on board was nothing but selfish, she didn’t think it through. Yes, she wanted to be with him, but she’s just causing him unnecessary trouble and putting him at risk, she now realizes. She only considered the implications for her and her team, not for him. That was so selfish of her. Twice he could have been killed, and the last time she wasn’t even there to protect him.

She wonders. Is that how love is supposed to feel like? This constant feeling of being torn between the desire to keep him with her and the fear of getting him hurt, is that really how it’s supposed to be? And does he feel the same way, is that the reason why he chose to stay? There are so many questions in her head, so much she’d want to say.

Unaware of her presence above him, Reyes seems to be gathering his strength. Sara nervously bites on her lower lip, holding back a muttered apology. She knows he wouldn’t accept it, anyway.

She hears the doors opening in front of him and Lexi’s voice greeting him, saving Sara from deciding whether she should talk to him. Reyes enters the room, at last, and disappears out of sight. Sara turns away and proceeds to the bridge. She’s not reassured, not completely. But at least he’s in good hands.

 

Liam and Cora are in the airlock, busy working on the disassembled parts of their guns which are displayed in front of them for thorough cleaning. Peebee is as usual in her escape pod, but she surprisingly left the door open and glances at her, on alert. With a soothing gesture of the hand, Sara signals her friend that everything’s fine and joins Drack and her brother in the middle of the room. They are observing with amused disbelief the unlikely duo plunged into a secret conversation over the console in front of the pilot seat. Gil and Kallo are so deep in their animated discussion that they don’t notice her coming in.

“Should I be worried? What’s going on?” Sara asks.

Drack shrugs. “I have no idea what they’re up to, Ryder. Who knows with those two?” 

Sara agrees absent-mindedly and peers one more time in direction of the conspirators. She squints her eyes, trying to make out what they’re saying. Without much results.

“How are you?” Scott nudges her to attract her attention. “Drack told me you finally managed not to get injured this time?”

The banter makes Sara wince instinctively. “Yes, I’m fine. Thank you, Scott, it’s so kind of you to ask.”

He ignores her sarcasm and goes on. “And to say we were all so concerned about you, nobody thought of looking after Reyes…”

Luckily for him, his playful expression contradicts his mocking tone, and Sara understands that her brother’s teasing. Given her current mood, she would probably have shot the darkest look she’s capable of at anyone else laughing about that, but not her brother. She knows where that comes from.  

Scott’s like her—always ready to crack a joke to lighten the mood or to avoid answering unwanted questions. This is a trick they both learned very young, and it helped them a lot during their childhood to get out of troubles. It helped even more a few years later when their mother got sick. They used to make jokes all the time, back then, to make her forget about her condition. And to make her forget that Alec had yet another time failed to come back home, most nights.

Sara shakes her head. She doesn’t resent her brother’s attitude, not at all. Their father only considered him as a fool, a useless clown that could never meet his high expectations. But Sara is well aware that there’s much more to Scott than that. Much more than Alec could ever acknowledge, without any doubt. It takes courage to keep on smiling and making jokes through hard times.

And so, instead of making a scene, she humors her brother with a tiny smile. But she has no time to answer him that the doors reopen in her back and Vetra appears on the threshold, out of breath. Conversations stop and all heads instantly turn to her, and Peebee, Cora, and Liam come nearer to hear what she has to say.

“Ryder… I came as fast as I could.” She leans an arm on the doorway and inhales sharply. “We need to leave!”

An anxious concern flashes on Sara's face. “What happened? Were you attacked, too?”

“What? No, I wasn’t. Why?” The turian’s obviously surprised and eyes the crew members gathered around her. “Who’s been attacked?”

“Never mind,” Sara dismisses her question, relieved to see her friend unhurt. “I’ll brief you later. Tell me what you found.”

“It wasn’t easy, believe me. I couldn’t get anyone to talk to me at first. I tried everything, but they hate the Initiative more than they like credits, down here… and the dock manager isn’t very welcoming, believe me. He looks and smells like shit.”

Vetra pauses, her mandibles flaring in an expression of disgust. “But he’s an idiot. He didn’t notice that I was standing right next to the docks console the whole time I was talking to him. It gave me enough time to hack the system and get inside the logs, and I discovered that an angara shuttle just took off minutes ago, in a hurry. Apparently, two shuttles were docked here. But the first one already left the asteroid… escorted by Pathfinder Rix’s ship.”

Sara’s mouth opens wide in astonishment.

“Yes, Avitus was here,” Vetra confirms. “But I have no clue as to where he or any of the angara shuttles went.”

“Fuck! We lost them, again!” Sara curses out loud.

“Let me finish, Ryder,” Vetra quietly counters. “I don’t know where they’re heading, but you should have more faith in me. I found out where they came from.”

“How… how did you manage that?”

Sara’s genuine admiration brings a pleased smile to the turian’s mouth. “How is not really what matters, is it? A magician doesn’t reveal his secrets for a reason…”

“Alright,” Sara concedes with a smirk. “And what has your magic uncovered, then? Where are we going?”

“The coordinates lead to the Civki system, right in the middle of dark space.”

“Wait. Isn’t it where you discovered this enormous Remnant space station, Khitas something?” Scott chimes in.

Vetra nods. “Khi Tasira, yes. The kett believed it was Meridian until Sara activated the command hub and discovered its real location.”

“And isn’t there like a whole load of kett in this area? We should expect some opposition there. What do recent reports indicate?” Scott asks, his green eyes holding a sudden and grave seriousness to them.

Sara’ struck by the tone of his voice. His former smile vanished and left a tense concentration on his face. In the blink of an eye, he went from the playful and relaxed boy to the stern and fierce professionalism of a man who’s overly aware of the dangers ahead. That’s not the first time Sara witnesses such grit and commitment on her brother’s face. He had the exact same gaze during the entire battle on Meridian, and also when he learned that they could find a way to save their mother. But she’s stunned. He never looked more like their father than in this precise moment. And for an instant, she doesn’t know what to say.

Cora comes to her help. “Most of the kett were driven away when we flew to Meridian,” she argues. “And if I remember correctly, the area has been secured since. A team of scientists was sent to study the ancient Remnant city, isn’t it so SAM?”

“Yes, Lieutenant. According to Initiative’s files, the system is inhabited and perfectly safe. No particular activity reported.”

“Good.” Scott’s reassured. “But let’s keep our eyes open. Better safe than sorry.”

Sara can’t repress a chuckle, and Scott looks at her with a frown. “What is it?”

“Nothing. It’s just… this sounds exactly like something Alec would have said.”

This time, it’s Scott’s turn to wince at his sister’s remark. “Oh, shut up. I’m trying to be sensible, here.”

“And I’m grateful. But it’s decided. The best way to find out is to go there and check it ourselves. Give SAM the coordinates, Vetra. We’re leaving asap.”

When the turian’s done entering the coordinates into the computer, Kallo immediately gets to it. He pushes a few buttons on the control panel and lets out an agitated grumble at the sight of the holographic display.

“Mm… We must indeed be careful, Ryder. The Scourge caused many spatial anomalies in this area, as well as gravitational and radiation effects. We won’t be able to fly at full speed.”

“Just do your best. Can you manage on your own?”

“Of course.” He pinches his lips. “Let me start on with the calculations. I’m sure SAM and I can handle that.”

“Ready whenever you are, Kallo.” Sara walks to the command center and stands by. She hesitates for a moment, looking around at her teammates, and lowers her voice to address her AI. “SAM, could you please check on Reyes and give him a heads-up? He should be done with Lexi by now.”

“I’ll do it if you want,” Gil interjects. “I’m going downstairs, anyway. I’ll make sure he’s alright.”

She gestures thankfully in his direction. “Tell him I’ll go and see him later.”

 

***

 

Reyes has no idea how long he stays in that position, alone on the floor of the hallway, curled up against the wall. It seems like hours. It seems like merely the time to breathe.

Everything is falling apart. Pain and rage melt together inside his chest, sweeping through every coherent thought until none remains. He could scream, if only he had the strength. But darkness like a cancer grows all around him, and a deadly silence spreads its wings along the corridor, creepy and ominous. For endless seconds, Reyes is incapable of making a sound, even less a move.

The noise rising from above shakes him out of his paralysis. Doors slide open and footsteps come and go on the upper level, and through his dizziness Reyes understands that Vetra must be back on the ship. The fear of getting caught is stronger than anything else. Head spinning, he manages to get on his feet and drags himself to the galley, where he cleans his hands and face over the sink. He doesn’t bother to wipe off the droplets dribbling down his chin and pours a large glass of water with trembling fingers.

Still breathless, he takes in his pocket one of the pills Lexi gave him and considers it. Though it is not going to fix his problem, it will at least diminish his pain. He swallows it down with haste, hoping that it will help to wash off the blood on his tongue. But he almost coughs on it, and the disgusting aftertaste of metal persists, sour and terrifying.

Trying to set the feeling aside, Reyes checks that no trace could betray him in the small kitchen and sneaks out of the galley. The hallway is empty, and he enters Sara’s quarters before someone spots him, relieved to hear the doors locking behind him. 

He collapses on the edge of the bed, running a tired hand over his forehead. He inhales deeply. One breath after the other, the loud beat of his heart slows down. As he raises his head, his eyes fall on the datapad he abandoned earlier on his nightstand. And he clenches his fists.

Up to now, the information it contains was the only evidence of his doom. But it all is so much more tangible, now. It’s really happening.

As he grabs the device, Reyes realizes he doesn’t need to read it anymore. He knows it by heart. Even so, he opens it and goes through the email once again, moved by a restless impulse.

 

_From: Ryota Nakamoto, Ditaeon Clinic_

_To: Reyes Vidal_

_FW: PERSONAL FILE - TEST RESULTS_

_> > 2 files attached_

_Dear Reyes,_

_You’ll find enclosed the lab results I got back from the Nexus. The tests were sent under a false ID, do not worry. But I’m afraid this doesn’t look good, as you can see. This is exactly what we feared. You need to receive medical treatment, the sooner the better. I can make arrangements for you to be treated at Ditaeon if you prefer. I strongly advise you get on with it as soon as possible, before it is too late. Though you might not feel sick at the moment and you’re still at an early stage, symptoms could develop faster than anticipated._

_You let me know when you’re ready._

_Ryota._

 

Reyes has been brooding over this for too long. An uncontrollable eruption of blind rage and frustration builds up inside of him, roaring in his chest and twisting his features. The datapad violently flies across the room, bounces off the wall and lands on the floor on the other side of the bed, where it shatters into pieces.

There. Evidence destroyed.

Reyes sadly chuckles to himself. It doesn’t feel better, not at all.

“Mr. Vidal, is everything alright?” SAM asks from the terminal on Sara’s desk. His voice sounds oddly puzzled.

Reyes inwardly curses. He completely forgot about the AI, and he wonders if SAM can see him. He pinches his nose, breathing in a couple of times to regain his composure. “Yes, SAM. Everything is just peachy,” he finally replies a bit too harshly.

It takes the AI a few seconds to answer. When he does, SAM seems to be choosing his words with carefulness. “In my experience, sudden and short outbursts are usually provoked by strong, pent-up emotions, such as despair or anger. I have noticed this pattern in Ryder’s behavior many times over the last year.”

“Have you now…” Reyes can’t help but smile poorly. He definitely has no trouble believing that the AI witnessed many demonstrations of blind rage coming from Sara.

“Indeed, I have.” If SAM perceives Reyes’ irony, he doesn’t comment on it. “And I’ve become quite familiar with it. But I confess my surprise to see you displaying such an emotional reaction.”

Reyes winces. “… What’s your point, SAM?”

“I only meant to point out the fact that, in spite of all your efforts to deny it, I don’t think that everything is ‘just peachy’, Mr. Vidal.”

SAM's flat intonation carries an unexpected mockery as he quotes Reyes' previous assessment, and a half-suppressed laugh escapes Reyes’ throat when he hears it. SAM never fails to amaze him, no matter the circumstances.

“Okay. You got me,” he concedes. “But it happens to everybody, you know. It’s no big a deal.”

“Is there anything I can do?”

The smile on Reyes’ face vanishes as quickly as it came. “No, SAM, not this time. But thank you.”

The AI remains silent after that, probably aware that it would be pointless to insist. Reyes is grateful. He prefers to keep his dark train of thought to himself.

He has a simple choice ahead of him. Either he tells Sara everything, causing her only more fear and pain, either he chooses to deal with this later and to handle the fear and pain by himself. But actually, his mind his already made. The decision was taken the day he joined her crew and embraced her mission as his own. He could have said it, back then. He could have left for Kadara, started on the therapy and followed Nakamoto’s recommendations. Maybe he should have. But there’s no turning back, now.

He hopes she’ll understand. Why he couldn’t say it, why he couldn’t tell her. He really hopes she will.

 

A faint knock on the door disrupts the quietness of the bedroom, and Reyes straightens up, startled. “SAM? Who is this?”

“Gil Brodie is requesting access, Mr. Vidal. He has a message from the Pathfinder for you.”

Reyes swears under his breath. He runs a nervous hand in his hair, acutely conscious that he must look like a complete mess. And the room is in a mess, too, with the numerous broken pieces of datapad scattered all over the floor.

“Tell him to wait. I’ll be right there.”

He gets on his feet and gathers all the parts he spots. His rib cage protests at each of his movements, but he can’t risk anyone finding out his secret. Once this is done, he puts on fresh clothes and stuffs the old ones along with the broken bits at the bottom of his backpack. All of this took him less than a minute. After taking a moment to catch his panting breath, he heads for the door.

The friendly face of the engineer appears behind it. “Hey, Reyes. What’s the story?” Gil stops smiling when he sees the dark circles under his eyes. “Oh, damn. You don’t look good. Are you alright?”

Reyes hardly holds back his exasperation. “I’m fine. Two broken ribs ain’t gonna kill me.” He laughs painfully at his own bad joke to hide his nervousness.

“Are you sure, man? It looks like you’re having a bad day.”

“I told you I’m fine.” Reyes shoots him a dark look and grumbles, “Why the hell is everybody so concerned about my health all of a sudden?”

“Huh, I don’t know, maybe because you’re part of the team?” Gil sounds like he’s stating the obvious. “I’m just saying. You’re one of us now, and we look after one another. That’s how this ship keeps flying, how we manage to live together. You know, cooperation, teamwork, all that jazz?”

Reyes’ mouth snaps shut, wordless. He never considered this that way. He joined the crew to be with Sara, but… he admits he feels good on the Tempest. More than he’d thought.

Embarrassed, he lifts his shoulders in a dismissive signal. “SAM said you had a message for me?”

“Yes.” Gil takes a look inside Sara’s quarters. “Can I come in, first?”

With reluctance, Reyes nods and invites him in. Gil sits on the couch, at his usual spot during poker nights. But Reyes prefers to stand in front of him and crosses his arms over his chest, waiting.

“You missed quite the development upstairs…” Gil explains him succinctly what Vetra discovered. “We’re leaving asap,” he concludes.

“I should go on the bridge, then.”

“Too late. Ryder already gave the order, we’re about to take off.”

The familiar and characteristic roar of the Tempest engines fills the cabin a second later, confirming his assessment. Powerful vibrations shake the whole ship, and she rises from the ground and steers toward the darkness of outer space. Reyes doesn’t comment and peers through the window, frowning. He turns away from the view after a while. “Well, thanks for the heads-up. I’m going to check on Sara.”

Once again, Gil talks him out of it. “I don’t think it’s a good idea. She’s busy working the details of the mission, you’d better not interrupt her. And… well, there’s something I want to ask you.”

“What is it?” Reyes enquires with caution, bracing himself for another inquisitive question.

“Don’t worry. I just need your help with the Nomad. It’s nothing complicated, but it’s a work better suited for two people. I would have asked Scott, but he’s so clumsy, he can’t even hold a screwdriver properly.”

Reyes is relieved to hear that. And to be honest, he welcomes the distraction. Assisting Gil is certainly better than waiting for Sara, alone in the bedroom with his gloomy thoughts. “Sure. Show me what I can do for you.”

 

He follows Gil to the cargo bay, where the engineer grabs a stack of metal plates glowing with golden gleams. Each thin plate has a small hole in every corner and a cable attached to its center. Though the material looks very solid, it also seems light as a feather.

“That’s kett alloy,” Reyes points out.

“Yes, but that’s not important for now.” Gil shrugs off his remark. “Here’s the thing. I’m going to fix those metal plates to various parts of the Nomad, and I need you to connect the wires I’ll hand you one by one through the vehicle body to that device on the passenger seat, over there.”

Reyes looks in the indicated direction at a small battery, the kind that was used for old cars back in the Milky Way. “Seems easy enough. What is it for?”

An enigmatic smile appears on Gil’s face. “It’s… an experiment. I don’t want to talk about it, not until I’m sure this works.”

“I’m good at keeping secret, you know.”

“I bet you are,” Gil scoffs. “But I’m not telling you.”

Reyes doesn’t insist. He sits in the driver seat and gets to it, quickly absorbed in his task. The stillness of the room, only interrupted by the occasional swearing of Gil under the vehicle, is soothing. Working is the easiest way to forget about his troubles and, deep down, he’s grateful to the engineer for providing this opportunity.

Slowly, pain is starting to wear off. The meds Lexi gave him are pretty effective, and a pleasant numbness invades his chest and mind. His thoughts naturally drift back to Sara. He pictures once again in his head the happiness on her face when all her teammates agreed to take him on board. The way she looked at him and at all her friends around, delighted to see them all united. This image will always comfort him, and a quiet smile cracks his lips just to think about it.

“You, you are thinking about Ryder.” Gil’s voice near him breaks the silence.

“What makes you say that?”

“Because she has exactly the same look when she thinks about you,” he cunningly replies.

Reyes’ smile grows wider. Not commenting, he grabs the wire Gil’s handing him and resumes his task. But he keeps on thinking about what the other man told him earlier. Maybe Gil is right. Maybe he really is a member of this crew, now. This family, as Sara likes to call it.

“I never had the chance to thank you… for backing me up. You were one of the first to vote in favor of me joining the team. I appreciate it,” he hesitantly confesses after a while.

“Bah, you don’t need to thank me.” Gil grins and goes back to fixing a new plate inside the left flank of the Nomad. “Don’t take this the wrong way, but since you joined us, Kallo is almost nice to me. That was the best decision ever.”

“Glad I could help,” Reyes laughs.

“Jokes aside…” Gil’s very serious when he goes on. “I’m glad you’re here. We all are. Ryder needs you. We’re concerned for her, you know.”

“She will be fine.”

“Yes, that’s what she keeps on saying. But… she’s been injured many times before. It’s different, this time. She never reacted so badly.” Gil eyes him uncomfortably. “Even before we discovered the kett were able to alter DNAs, I had never seen her so agitated. We’re all aware that there was more to it than a simple gunshot. Since the attack, I’ve barely talked to her for more than 5 minutes. Like she avoids us… and most of all, she avoids me.”

Reyes puts on his best poker face. “You’re getting ideas. She's just trying to be strong... I mean, you know her.”

“But she never shut herself like that. That’s why I know it was something bad, like, really, really bad. Or else she would have told me, or Peebee. Or her brother, at the very least.”

Reyes says no more, despite the sad look on the other man's face. He has no doubt Gil means well, that his curiosity comes from a genuine and kindhearted concern for Sara. But he also understands why she’s keeping silent. And how could Reyes explain to her best friend that, among all of the members of her crew, Gil’s the least likely Sara would confide to? How could she tell him what happened to her, he who carries a picture of his newborn baby in his back pocket and shows it off on every occasion?

Reyes represses a nervous sigh. “Believe me, you did nothing wrong. Leave her some time.”

“Yeah, I’ll do that.” Gil seems disappointed, but he stops prying. “Anyway. Like I said, I’m glad you’re here. You need to take care of her, given that she won’t let anybody else do it.”

“Careful, Gil. Or I’ll start thinking you actually like me.” He aimed that as a joke, but he’s staggered to see Gil’s expression for a fraction of second.

“You hurt me, Reyes… Of course, I like you. Even if I’m sure you cheat at poker.” He laughs out loud. “Besides, you’re almost married to my best friend. That must count for something, right?”

“Oh, don’t tell her that…”

“That you’re practically married?”

Reyes nods, and Gil lets out a loud snort. “Why, does it freak you out?”

“No. It’d freak her out.”

“Ha, yeah… I see your point. This ship might be called the Tempest, but we all know who the real storm is…” Gil chuckles knowingly. “Bah, she’ll get to it. Ryder… she can be quite a handful, I’ll give you that. But she needs someone like you. You two will be fine.”

 

“Is that my name I’m hearing?” Sara’s voice interrupts them from above, and they both raise their heads to watch her while she gets down the ladder to join them, Peebee right behind her.

Reyes gets out of the vehicle, but too hastily. A sharp burst of pain awakens in his chest from the abrupt movement, and he internally curses himself.

Sara doesn’t miss his reaction, and concern fills her face. “How do you feel? What did Lexi say?”

“That I was even worse a patient than you are.”

“Can’t say I’m surprised… She didn’t put you on bed rest?”

Reyes shakes his head, and Sara throws him a suspicious look. “You’re lucky…”

“Well, I wouldn’t say that. But she gave me some medicine, and it’s pretty effective. I feel better already. It hurts only when I make specific moves, otherwise I’m fine.”

Sara observes him. He does look better. His skin returned to his natural color and, if it weren’t for the dark circles under his eyes, she could almost forget all the things he’s been through these last few days.

“Okay, let’s put all this away, we’re done for today.” Gil motions Reyes to put the tools and battery away in the workbench on the side.

“What were you doing?” Peebee asks with her typical curiosity. “The Nomad doesn’t need repair, we didn’t use her for days!”

“One can never be too cautious,” Gil retorts. But he deduces from Peebee’s dubious stare that she’s not convinced. “If you don’t believe me, ask Reyes.”

“Simple maintenance,” he confirms with a smirk, grabbing the tools on the passenger seat.

“But you were talking about Ryder. We heard her name,” Peebee counters, a teasing playfulness dancing in her eyes.

“It was only good things, I swear.” Reyes winks at Sara and kneels on the floor to put the tools away.

But that is not enough to satisfy Peebee. She pouts at his back, clearly determined to get more juicy details. “I hope that at least you tell her that you love her, Reyes! She deserves it!”

Reyes suddenly stops rummaging in the toolbox and freezes, frowning with annoyance. He’s used to Peebee’s sassiness by now, and most of the times he doesn’t resent her spontaneity. But that caught him off guard.

He’s embarrassed. He never said it again, not out loud, not since Aya. It was over a month and a half ago, and not once he thought of telling her. Not once. Not when he joined her on the Nexus, nor when he brought her to their new home and carried her in his arms through the threshold. He didn’t even say it when she was shot, when he thought he had lost her.

He realizes how stupid this is.

But a frail hope springs up in his heart. Saying it once is worth saying it a thousand times, isn’t it? Sara knows he loves her. The word ‘love’ seems oddly pale, compared to what he feels. He would do anything for her. He would travel through infinite universes and destroy galaxies if that’s what it takes, he would kill anyone who gets in their way. Hell, he would die for her.

Reyes takes a deep breath and finally raises his head, about to tell Peebee to mind her own business. But he’s silenced by the look on Sara’s face and remains speechless for a second. The softest smile is now curling her lips, and seeing it instantly warms him from within.

She knows.

 

As usual, Sara is reading his mind. She comes to his rescue and answers the asari, an unexpected tenderness filling her voice and her eyes plunged into his. “Every day, Peebee… he says it every single day.”

His heart crumbles at her words, flooded by emotion. Reyes crosses the room at once, his feet unconsciously getting into motion as if pulled by an invisible force. All the pain and anger and fear that stuck with him for the last few days vanish into thin air, pushed away by Sara’s radiant smile.

He holds her close and reaches out a hand to cup her cheek, lost for words. “You… you’re the love of my life, Sara,” he shakily whispers. All the feelings swirling in his chest make him stammer a little, and he gulps sharply. “You know that, right?”

“I know.” She shushes him gently and kisses him, and her lips taste like the sweetest promise. “Every time you look at me, I know.”

In a blur, Reyes senses that Sara’s friends sneak out of the room as quietly as possible. But he doesn’t care about them anymore. All that matters is her smile. There’s a whole world in that smile, a world that belongs to him alone and that he treasures more than anything.

As he rests his forehead against hers, he secretly swears to himself that no one will ever take that away from him.


	15. Close encounter

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The one of the third kind

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fair warning: writing this chapter has been a wild ride… and quite a challenge for me. I hope everything will make sense, I did my best to make it understandable! It is also a bit long (too long?), and I apologize. But if I did my job correctly, you shouldn’t get bored. Just look at the wonderful cover @[ seokanori ](https://seokanori.tumblr.com/) did for me!!! ;)

 

Sara pushes a lock of hair away from her forehead with a loud sigh of relief and leans back on her seat. She just finished filing the last report documenting her every mission since the victory on Meridian, and she wearily looks at the pile of datapads towering over her desk.

She usually hates doing that kind of paperwork. She considers it useless. How could the Initiative bureaucracy understand what it’s like to be on the battlefield, fighting for the life of those you swore to protect and making important decisions in the heat of the moment? She doesn’t expect civils would ever get it. Their reality is too different. They compare and endlessly ponder, whereas Pathfinders put themselves and their whole crew at risk every time they fly toward a new destination.

The officials, they think of numbers, statistics and percentages, benefits and losses. Sara, on the contrary, thinks in terms of threats and possibilities, of potential dangers and best possible outcomes. She thinks of living beings. No one can put a number on that.

But filling reports is part of her job, and she’s somehow glad that she’s done with it. Tann will be pleased, at least. One thing less to worry about, and now that this chore is done, she can fully concentrate on her current mission. Her clandestine, top-secret mission.

A shiver ripples down her spine just to think about it. Fear and impatience are too inextricably intertwined inside her chest, it’s hard to explain.

 

According to her watch, the morning shift is about to begin. She hears the water running in the pipes of the bathroom next door. Cora must be taking an early shower—she always goes first, every day.

Yawning widely, Sara transfers all the files to the Nexus council and checks her emails. Reyes forwarded her all the information Keema was able to gather on the angara he recognized from Kadara. She skims through the report, but there’s nothing of interest in it. The angara was registered under an alias and is not affiliated with the Resistance, nor with any other known angaran organization. And there is no record of his arrival on the planet. Wherever he came from, he appeared out of nowhere on the logs, only a couple of days before Sara went back to Kadara Port for the first time in months. She cannot believe this is a coincidence.

She gets up and paces around the room. She doesn’t know what to make of that information, except that it infuriates her even more. Those angara, whatever their goal is, have been tracking her every movement for several weeks. They’ve been a step ahead of her all the way, keeping her close but not close enough so that she could figure out what they want from her. It’s driving her mad.

She scratches the back of her neck. Oddly, it has stopped itching so much recently. In spite of the angara’s confident assertion to Reyes, nothing has changed. No weird device on the back of her neck, no skin turning green. But this doesn’t make her feel better, not at all. She wishes something would happen. She cannot fight an invisible enemy, and she’d rather know than keep on guessing and torturing herself.

Sara keeps walking up and down, hands crossed behind her back. Her reflection is interrupted when her foot hits something on the floor, hidden under the bed. Curious, she stops and picks it up. The small piece of gray plastic looks familiar, and she recognizes it almost immediately. It is the corner of a datapad. She wonders how it got there.

“SAM, where does that comes from?”

“From a datapad, Pathfinder.”

She rolls her eyes to the ceiling. “Thanks for the input, SAM. I know it comes from a datapad. I meant, why is there a piece of broken datapad under the bed?”

“This is a more precise question, indeed. I can only assume that a datapad was broken and the piece landed there, forgotten.”

The AI’s tone is non-committal, as ever, but Sara winces. Is she getting ideas, or is SAM avoiding answering on purpose? She has no time to ask him what the heck is going on. The steady hum of the ship’s powerful engines quiets down at this precise moment, indicating that they’ve reached their destination.

Seconds later, Kallo’s voice comes in the comms. “Ryder, we have arrived in the Civki system. Scans… picked up something at the border of the Scourge. You’d better come and see it by yourself.”

“I’ll be right there, Kallo.” Something in his tone caught her attention, and Sara throws the broken piece into the garbage can without further consideration. She hurries to the bridge.

 

Both pilots are concentrated on the screen, frowning with concern.

“What’s the matter?” Sara enquires.

Kallo remains speechless, incredulously checking the monitors. Reyes replies in his stead, glancing at her from the co-pilot seat. “We have found Rix’s ship.”

“Are you sure it’s him?” She instantly regrets asking that. She doesn’t have to look at the screens, she can see it through the window bay.

Clearly recognizable from the Initiative emblems on its flanks, the turian vessel is floating in dark space, alone and abandoned. The light frigate doesn’t seem much larger than the Tempest, but Sara knows she should not be fooled by its size; this ship is one of the most powerful military forces in all Andromeda. The Initiative secretly commissioned it prior to their departure from the Milky Way and it was specifically designed to balance endurance, firepower, and mobility, as well as to accommodate a full wing of turian fighters armed to the teeth under their Pathfinder’s command.

Unlike the Tempest, the Attila was not made for long-range travel and exploration. She was made to bring down enemies.

That knowledge only makes the view in front of Sara harder to believe. Astonished, she lets out a little gasp. Her eyes wander along the fuselage with disbelief, trying to take in as many details as possible.

Surrounded by the dark energy tentacles of the Scourge, a large crack cuts the ship’s underbelly open. A terrific blast pierced the shield, blistering the hull and raking half of the starboard section open. Lacerated from the center of its body to the tail, the Attila is bleeding from dozens of wounds in its flank. Small fires are burning out aft of the spaceship, sprinkling its tail with a series of light explosions, barely larger than red dots at this distance.

As the Tempest gets closer and the Attila slowly rotates on its axis, Sara finally makes out what caused so much damage. An angara shuttle collided head-on with the turian vessel and impaled on it like a knife through butter. The starship wreckage is sticking out of the carcass, so small and tiny in comparison to the huge vessel. It’s almost preposterous.

Reyes’ loud coughing suddenly pulls Sara out of her mute trance, and she raises an alarmed eyebrow. The frequency of his coughing fits seems to have increased, lately.

But he avoids her gaze by pressing on a few buttons. “It looks like they have been taken by surprise. According to the scans, weaponry and defenses are down.”

She clears her throat. “Any movement on board?”

“Faint vital signs are emitting, but we cannot identify them. The signals are unstable.” Reyes represses another burst. “The ship is in bad shape.”

“This is an understatement, Ryder.” Kallo recovers the use of his voice, at last. “Many systems are experiencing extensive damage. And there was no reaction to our arrival, no distress call.”

“Get us closer. I want a full status report ASAP.”

“Shouldn’t we contact them first?” Vetra, who just entered the bridge, sounds anxious.

One by one, Sara’s teammates are gathering in the room. She turns around to face them, shaking her head. “No, I don’t think it’s a good idea. We cannot be sure that Rix is still in control of his ship… We don’t even know if he’s alive,” she adds hesitantly. She looks back into the darkness of the bay window. “What about this report, SAM? What can you tell me?”

“The impact of the angara shuttle damaged two of the four main thrusters. Propulsion and FTL are down, and many operating systems as well. Fortunately, the crash occurred on the lower deck, in the shuttle bay, and life-support systems are operating within the ship. Aside from the docking area, it should be safe.”

That’s exactly what Sara was hoping for. “Do you have access to the Attila’s blueprint?”

“I do, Pathfinder.”

“Display it on screen. I want to know what we’re stepping into.”

She studies the holo-map on the terminal. Like the Tempest, the turian ship is divided into two floors. But the Attila is much bigger than she first guessed. Each level is crossed by a main hallway and two secondary corridors, which increases the chances of traps and unfriendly encounters. That doesn’t bode well.

“What’s their SAM’s status?” she asks, trying to hide her apprehension.

“It seems down, too. I cannot contact it,” the AI replies.

“Can’t you find a way to gain access? Hack it, if necessary.”

“I’m afraid I cannot do that. We SAMs were created with securities against such attempts. It would not be acceptable for me to hack another Pathfinder’s AI.”

“But isn’t bringing it back online the easiest way to control the ship?”

“Assuming Pathfinder Rix could be dead, it is the only way.”

“I see.” Sara pinches her lips, wondering. The plan drawing up in her head might not be ideal, but that’s the only one she’s got. Her decision is made. “Mark down its location, SAM. We have to try, anyway. Kallo, Reyes, get us as close as possible and position us alongside the Attila.”

“This is a tricky maneuver,” Kallo objects. “We cannot dock with the ship, it is too badly damaged. Maintaining the Tempest next to it will require constant calculations and adjustments, not to mention that we could get dangerously close to the edges of the Scourge.”

“That’s why I need both my pilots on it, Kallo. Get to it.” Without waiting for an answer, Sara turns to Gil. “Prepare the thickest metal cable you can find. And remind me: how far can my jump-jets propel me, exactly?”

“In outer space? The problem is not how far you can go, but how you’re going to stop… You have to regulate your speed so that you don’t collide too abruptly with the ship.”

“Sara, no. This is madness,” Reyes interrupts them, fear filling his voice. “Please don’t tell me you plan on crossing through all that dark space on your own. There will be 70 meters, at the very least. This is way too risky.”

“That’s precisely the plan. Once I have hooked the cable onto the Attila, the others will rope up and join me.” Ignoring his concerns, she looks at her teammates. “We’ll make two groups to cover more ground. Liam, Peebee, you’re with me. We’ll head for the command center. Cora, you’ll lead the second squad on the lower deck and clear the area. Let’s see if we can figure out what happened here, exactly.”

“Yes, Ryder.” As usual, her lieutenant does not hesitate.

“I want to come, too. I’m tired of being left behind. I can be useful,” Scott pleads.

“He can go, I’ll stay here,” Drack grunts. “I’m too old to drag my ugly ass along a rope in the middle of nowhere, anyway. I leave that to you kids.”

Cora agrees with him. “Vetra and Scott, you’re coming. Get ready.”

“We should expect resistance and close combat. Gear up accordingly,” Sara warns them before they go. “But don’t forget that Rix is our top priority. The first one to find him will get my eternal gratitude.”

Smiling knowingly, her companions walk to the locker room.

Sara glances at Reyes. He holds her gaze, acutely conscious of all the things at stake and the risks she’s about to take. He wants to tell her to be careful, but words fail him. They stick in his throat, too dreadful to be voiced aloud.

She does her best to reassure him. “I’ll see you when I’m back.” And with a slight nod of the head, she leaves the bridge.

 

***

 

Sara’s relieved beyond description as she fastens the cable and securely hooks the metal clasps to the Attila’s hull. Crossing was harder than she expected, and her heart is pounding in her chest. She felt so lost, alone in the vast emptiness, that for a moment she thought she’d never make it to the other side. But thanks to SAM’s precious advice and assistance, she managed to balance the propulsion of her jet pack and gained the turian ship uninjured.

She worms her way into the Attila shuttle bay through one of the many holes created by the initial collision and activates her omnitool scanner. Satisfied to see that nothing is moving in the perimeter, she takes a deep breath to slow down her racing heartbeat and announces on the comms, “It’s safe. You can come.”

“We’ll be there shortly,” Cora responds. “Teams are on the way.”

“Perfect. Kallo, Reyes, everything’s good for you on the bridge?”

“Don’t worry about us. Steering this ship is a piece of cake.” In spite of his light-hearted assessment, Reyes doesn’t sound much reassured.

“Of course, we’d appreciate if you could hurry up,” Kallo adds, not hiding the anxiety in his tone. “We have coordinated with the Attila’s drifting movements, but we cannot predict where she is going. The risk of collision with the Scourge increases at every minute.”

“Duly noted, Kallo.”

Sara looks around, waiting for her teammates. The whole shuttle bay is depressurized, some crates and equipment floating around in the vacuum and endlessly bouncing off the walls of the dark hangar without a noise. Pulling herself along the inner structure of the ship, Sara floats toward the angara shuttle below. She cautiously nears its location, her magnetic boots anchoring her onto the metal floor.

The remains of the shuttle lie on a pile of collapsed steer girders, the front completely wrecked. The cockpit has been split open by the force of the crash, and an intense fire destroyed the inside. Sara scans the area without conviction, not surprised to see that sensors don’t pick up any interesting data. Results are distorted by high concentrations of carbon and fuel, and even SAM can’t provide information on the occupants of the shuttle. There’s nothing left to collect, no body to analyze.

“I hope they were all killed in the crash.”

Scott’s voice erupting inside her helmet makes Sara jump. She didn’t realize that her friends have joined her and stand right behind her.

“I wouldn’t count on that if I were you,” Liam counters. “This shuttle can carry up to a dozen soldiers. And if they’re anything like kett, you can be sure that some of them survived.”

“Bastards always do,” Sara whispers almost inaudibly. With a shrug, she turns away from the crash scene and heads for the gate at the end of the hangar, which according to the blueprints leads to the other decks.

The magnetic boots slow her down. Her footsteps are heavy, dragging on the floor. Her impatience grows at every movement, blood boiling in her veins. Answers are just ahead, she can feel it. It’s right there, a little bit forward, at her fingertips. Once again, she shivers impulsively. Her stride lengthens.

If the others notice how edgy she is, they don’t comment and follow her.

 

They reach the other side of the docking bay without incident. The hermetical gate opens on a small room with an airtight door at the other end. Sara motions her friends to enter the airlock and goes in after them. The door closes again behind her and pumps automatically begin to pressurize the chamber, filling the compartment with recycled air and sharp hisses.

It seems to last forever. Tingles of anticipation run through her legs and make her want to pace up and down, but there’s barely enough space in the small room to fit the six of them. Bodies are packed like sardines, helmets banging against each other.

Relentless, Sara toys with her omnitool. “SAM, any movements in the surroundings?”

“No, Pathfinder. Not that I can detect.”

“But if those fuckers were nearby, you could spot them, right? I mean, even if they were cloaked?”

“Yes. Rest assured, I’ve integrated their electric signal in my database.”

“Good,” she mumbles.

Seconds later, pressure returns to normal and stabilizes. The switch on the wall becomes green, signaling that it’s now possible to get out, and Sara steps outside the chamber with haste.

Her companions are at her heels. Inside, everything is quiet. The fluorescent emergency signs, flashing like so many warnings on the floor, are the only source of light in the main hallway. On their right, a case of stairs leads to the upper level, plunged into darkness.

“Okay. Let’s split up,” Sara commands, motioning Cora’s team to take the hallway in front of them. “You know what to do.”

The huntress wordlessly agrees and leads her squad along the corridor. After a few meters, Sara can merely distinguish their silhouettes in the dark and turns to Liam and Peebee. She doesn’t need to talk. Positioning themselves into a tactical formation, which they practiced many times over the last year, they climb up the stairs as fast as possible.

 

They avoid walking in the main hallway. They prefer to move quickly and clear the rooms one by one, in this way hoping to discourage potential enemies from outflanking them. They cross a couple of storage units, then through the crew quarters and the observation deck. Every room is deserted. The light of their helmet-mounted flashlights reveals nothing but flickering screens and dead monitors. There’s not a soul in sight, not a sound to disturb the unsettling silence.

They soon discover the reason why everything is so still. As they arrive in another dimly-lit room full of scientific equipment, the first signs of struggle appear. Crates have been hastily put together in line at the center of the room, in order to create a fragile barricade against the invaders. Many blood stains cover the floor near the makeshift shelter, forming small pools of a deep blue coloration that leaves no doubt about their origin. This is turian blood.

Sara's brows furrow deeper and deeper. She walks in and stops abruptly, holding her fist up in the air to prevent Liam and Peebee from entering.  

All the bodies have been gathered behind the barricade. She counts 8 cadavers, all turian. Rix’s entire crew is lying dead on the floor, stacked up without any consideration. Even with the air-recycling filters of her armor, she can smell them. The putrid scent of body decay fills her helmet, and she holds back a horrified gasp. Judging by the disgusted pants coming from her friends, they don’t handle it better than she does.

“They were not prepared for this.” Sara clenches her jaw, her face contorting in fury. “They never knew what hit them, they had no idea the angara were cloaked. They didn’t see them coming, and they were slaughtered like animals.”

She can easily guess what happened here: after the confusion of the initial crash, the turian organized the defense here, in this room. Tactically speaking, this was the best decision. Located amidships, the place offers a strategic defensive position against invaders coming down the hallway, before they can reach the command center. It was a good plan. But Rix didn’t know that the angara were invisible.

“The turian put up a good fight.” Liam shows her the four angaran bodies piled up in the right-hand corner of the room, in a brownish-green pond of coagulated blood. “At least we don’t have to worry about those.”

“And the Pathfinder is not there,” Peebee observes. “There’s still hope.”

Sara wishes she could share her friends’ optimism. But it’s getting harder and harder. She shrugs her shoulders and, focusing instead on her mission, she scans the bodies. “SAM, collect all the data you can about the angara’s physiology.”

The AI’s answer is drowned by the chatter of automatic weapons coming from the deck below. Three distinct and rapid bursts of gunfire echo briefly down the hallway. Seconds later, Cora’s voice comes in the comms. “Two enemies down, Ryder. We’ve cleared about half of the ship. Progressing forward.”

“Well done, Cora. We’re right above you. We found four dead angara… and twice as much turian.”

“Rix?”

“No.” Sara gulps sharply. “Keep on moving. We’ll find him.”

She looks around her. A bloody trail on the floor leads back to the hallway. She sidesteps the pile of bodies and, trying not to cringe when her boots slush through the dried blood, she walks to the main corridor.

There, they face another massive door, closed in front of them. Sara recalls from the blueprints she studied earlier that this is the only access to the bridge. Sadly, it won’t open. The command panel has been ripped off and hangs on the wall, useless and disconnected.

“SAM, can you make it work?”

“My attempts at connecting are unsuccessful. The whole ship is on lockdown, and all the systems have been encrypted with a security protocol that I cannot bypass.”

“Shit,” she curses. “Come on, SAM, we need some good news here. There must be a way!”

“The only option is to manually force it open, I’m afraid.”

“And how exactly are we supposed to do that?” Liam asks sarcastically. “With a frag grenade?”

“No. We use our biotics.” Sara turns to Peebee, “Help me, will you? If we coordinate, I’m sure we can make those doors slide apart.”

Her friend nods, her biotics setting off while Liam cautiously takes a step back. Blue energy flows through Peebee’s fingers in the blink of an eye, and Sara proceeds to do the same. She lifts up her right hand and, inhaling deeply, she braces herself.

 

The pain is sudden, brutal. It takes her by surprise, excruciating and devastating. Sara collapses on her knees, screaming at the top of her lungs.

She has no idea what’s happening to her. A shooting pain, cold as an icy wind, radiates furiously from the back of her neck to the side of her head. Its savage blasts cut right through her skull and grip her brain in freezing claws. Throbbing pulsations flood her every nerve with a thousand needles. The blue aura of energy crackles around her hands and encloses her whole, caught in an endless loop that she cannot control. Eyes open, she cannot see a thing. Her vision is blotched with the violent colors of agony.

Time stretches. For a fleeting second, her body is about to give up.

Her raw scream dies in her throat, at last, her lungs empty and choking. In the loud silence that comes after, a fit of panic and fear comes on the comms, alarmed voices speaking all together in disarray.

Cora is the first to break the tense stillness of the room. “Team one, are you under attack?”

“What the hell’s going on? We heard you from the other side of the ship,” Scott echoes.

Unable to contain his anxiety, Reyes urges her. “Sara, are you alright? Sara, answer me!”

She barely hears their confused shouts, unable to react. She pants heavily, digging her fingers in her scalp to make that pain go away. It has to go away. But her head seems to be on fire. She convulses and falls on the floor, curled up in a fetal position.

“Ryder is hurt!” Peebee nears her location, but she doesn’t dare to touch her. “You hear me? The Pathfinder is down! I repeat, Pathfinder’s down!”

The asari’s shrill voice sends more painful spikes in Sara’s head. It’s all black and burning around her, burning with the cold bite of frozen chains digging into her brain. Her whole world is drowned in darkness and chaos. The pain takes her away, deep inside herself to some primitive place she visited before. And she lets it swallows her whole.

 

She doesn’t know how long it lasts. It could have been a minute, or hours… but something brings her back. It’s only a spark, at first. A frail jerk of body and mind, a proud and stubborn tenacity that refuses to let go. There’s a fire pumping through her veins that just won’t go out, a call in her head that she cannot ignore. And it becomes a certainty. She will not die here.

Her heartbeat slows down, the coldness fades out. She vaguely suspects that SAM has something to do with that, and that thought drags her out of unconsciousness. When Sara comes back to her senses, she confusedly understands that her teammates are considering an immediate evacuation.

“Peebee, Liam, where are you?” Cora never sounded so frightened. “We’re coming your way.”

“Lexi’ll be ready to go in a minute,” Kallo announces.

“I’m going with her.”

That’s Reyes speaking. Sara instinctively fists her hands, fighting her dizziness with renewed energy. “I’m not… down…” she mumbles weakly, too weakly to be heard.

“You cannot leave, you have to stay here! Drack can go,” Kallo argues heatedly with his co-pilot, approved by Lexi.

“Seconded. You’re in no condition to help me, Reyes. We need you on the bridge.”

“I don’t care. I’m going.”

“I said… I’m not down!” Sara bangs on the floor to interrupt them, biting her lip to keep from crying out. Sharp pain lances through her head and colorful spots flash in front of her eyes again. It feels like her whole body has been beaten, every movement causing her muscles and bones to ache. Regardless, she manages to slowly sit up. “Everybody stay put.”

“But–”

“No buts, everybody just shut up! This is an order. We stick to the plan. Cora, you secure the lower deck. We go to the command center, it shouldn’t be far.” Sara groans on effort and rises on her feet. It hurts. It fucking goddamn hurts. “Tempest, the call for help is canceled. Proceed as planned.”

The resolve in her tone silences them all.

“Copy that, Ryder,” Cora finally acknowledges without enthusiasm.

Her voice still seems so, so far away. Sounds come to Sara’s ears through a blurred and thick fog and she struggles to keep her balance, leaning her back on the door for support.

“Pathfinder, your bio-amp is on the brink of frying,” SAM warns her. “Too much power caused your implant to malfunction. I was able to stop it before it caused brain damage, but I strongly advise against using your biotics for now.”

“What is happening to me, SAM?” Sara pants. “You have to do something!”

“I am afraid I cannot prevent it. Your implant has been altered.”

“Altered? How?”

“I… don’t know.”

A dead silence follows SAM’s reluctant confession. Sara avoids looking at Peebee’s and Liam’s concerned faces. She grits her teeth, mindless of the taste of blood in her mouth. She bit her tongue and didn’t even feel it. “We have to open that door. We’re so close.”

“I’ll do it.” Peebee motions her and Liam to move away. It takes the asari only a few seconds to successfully slide one of the door panels, just enough to let them pass.

“Ryder, are you sure you can make it?” Liam enquires when he sees her stumble.

“I can do it.” Sara discards his arm held out for help and makes an unsteady step through the doorway. “You heard SAM. I won’t use my biotics, that’s all.”

The moment she stops speaking, the whole ship shakes under their feet. The floor trembles and the walls vibrate with a horrible, gloomy sound.

“What’s this now?” Sara barks, on alert.

“We are getting dangerously close to the Scourge,” Kallo answers. “Its gravitational field is pulling us toward it at increased speed and the pressure’s augmenting too quickly. I can’t predict how long the ship will hold.”

As if to confirm his statement, a wailing cry of twisting metal echoes loudly along the deserted hallway. The Attila is yowling its pain to be submitted to the harsh forces of gravity. 

Sara inwardly swears. According to the ship’s map, her destination is 20 meters ahead. She cannot turn back now. She holds the reassuring weight of her gun in her hands and resolutely points her chin forward. “Let’s go. We don’t have much time.”

 

The last section of the ship is even quieter than the previous one. Sara and her companions walk with caution to the last door at the end of the corridor.

“I now detect two sorts of vital signs on the bridge,” SAM warns them. “The first signature belongs to Pathfinder Rix, but the other is unknown in my database.”

Sara tenses up, the pain in the back of her head forgotten. They found him. They found _them_. She shivers with impatience as the door of the bridge opens itself in front of them.

Rix is lying on the floor, hardly breathing. He has been repeatedly beaten up, his face swollen and one of his arms twisted in an unnatural and painful position. Curled up against the wall, he lets out a faint moan, deep and heart-breaking.

Sara’s first reflex is to run to him, but Liam grabs her by the hand. “Wait. It could be a trap,” he whispers, looking around with suspicion.

“Friends like yours are priceless,” a low-pitched voice rises from the shadows, mocking and cruel. “But you’ve fallen into the trap long ago, pathryder.”

She refuses to be intimidated. “Show yourself,” she dares, searching the darkness with relentless eyes. “I’m done playing your little games.”

The angara appears out of nowhere, his kett-made shotgun pointed directly at her. Sara unconsciously shivers. His skin is of a dark-green complexion, his mouth contorted into an evil smirk. The folds of flesh on the side and top of his head have turned to a pale white color, sickening and disgusting. And his eyes… she cannot look at them without feeling nauseous. Dark and threatening, they are a bottomless pit of anger and suffering.

Sara swallows hard to get rid of her nervousness. “I should kill you,” she growls. “I should kill you right now.”

“That’s funny, this is exactly what I told your boyfriend, the other day. But I spared his life.”

“Why?”

“I wanted to meet with you. And here you are, exactly where I wanted you to be.” His smug smile is maddening.

Sara clasps her weapon, finger on the trigger. “What do you want from us, you exalted kett bastard?”

“Oh, I am no kett. You should know that by now. You were there on Voeld, you saw the lab and what my people endured in that cave… You saw what they did to us. And you know that this is only the tip of the iceberg, what this device can do.”

“I know that kett have been experimenting on angara for decades. But that doesn’t give you the right to experiment on me!” Sara hisses with furry.

“I did what I did to make sure that you’d help us.”

“You’re the one who injected me with that thing?” Sara’s pupils narrow in hatred. Her finger joints are white for being so clenched around her weapon.

“Yes, I did it. I had to. It was the only way.”

She resists the urge to shoot him right here, right now. “And why should I help you? You attacked me, injected me with this damn thing… You led me into a trap on Voeld, and now you’re threatening me again…”

“We didn’t set you up on Voeld. We were supposed to meet you there, but kett got in the way.” He grins widely, showing a mouth full of yellow teeth. “Nice job getting rid of them, by the way. We were impressed. The changes in your physiology seem to be quite remarkable. Unpredicted, but truly remarkable.”

“You cannot change me. You never will,” she blurts out without thinking.

“ _Shur nisha kiila_ , pathryder… Change has begun. It is inevitable.”

He takes a step toward her. But Sara and her companions raise their guns all together, and he stops on the spot. He gauges her with piercing eyes that painfully awake something in the back of her brain. A burning sensation that she resents more than anything, for she knows he’s telling the truth. And she hates that.

“I gave you a great gift,” he continues when he understands that she won’t answer. “What you make of it is up to you. But if you want to heal, if you want a cure… for you, your family and your friends…” He licks his lips, as if delighted of some secret knowledge. “You have no choice but to help us.”

“Help you doing what, exactly?” Peebee butts in to defend her friend with her usual temerity, returning the angara’s dark stare. “And why should we trust you? We don’t even know who you are!”

He drops down his weapon and places his left hand over his heart. “We are the Third Kind. The chosen sons, fathered in blood and war,” he recites with fervor. “But from our suffering the Ancients will be brought back to life, and they shall rise again among the stars and deliver us from our torments.”

Sara can’t believe what she’s hearing. Fucking angara fanatics. “You are talking about the Jardaan… You want to recreate them? This is madness!”

“The Jardaan made us. We want to bring them back. But the kett have heard about our plans, they stole the artifact from us to try and do the same. They believe that by combining their genome with the angara’s, they could save their race from extinction. We cannot let that happen.”

“And that’s why you need me… you want me to fetch it for you.”

“Yes. Go to Khi Tasira. There you will find the key you need to fight the kett. My brothers and I are not strong enough yet, not many of us escaped their prisons. But you can.”

“Then why did you attack this ship? Why didn’t you reach out to me sooner?”

The angara looks behind his shoulder, at the turian still lying on the floor. “We couldn’t be sure you’d take the bait. Two Pathfinders are worth more than only one, and I admit we were curious to see how the injection would affect him. Too bad my scientist died when we boarded the ship. He would have been fascinated,” he confesses.

Fury suddenly gains Sara, wild and overwhelming. She struggles to think clearly, but anger obscures her vision. “You’re a monster. You are no better than kett, playing gods in the name of a vain utopia. I will kill you for that.”

“You and I are just the same, pathryder. One day, you’ll understand.”

“Oh no. You and I are nothing alike.” Sara is more determined than ever. A vengeful smile cracks her lips, twisting her features.

Her friends probably read her mind, because they both make a move toward her in the hope of stopping her. But too late.

She raises her gun and repeats, “We are nothing alike. I’m not dying in here. You are.” And she pulls the trigger, shooting the angara right in the head. “That’s for injecting me,” she spits over his dead body before turning to Rix.

 

Her glance softens, and she looks at him with concern. He didn’t make a move during the whole scene. Severely wounded, his eyes are barely open. But he’s alive.

“Ryder!” he whispers. “Of all the Pathfinders, I never thought Tann would have sent you…”

“Tann didn’t send me, Rix. As far as the Initiative is concerned, no rescue was necessary,” she explains, seeing his surprise. “But what happened to you?” she asks, kneeling next to him to assess his injuries.

“After I left Eos, I received an anonymous message,” he confesses in a breath. “I was lured into a trap on this secret krogan colony. They caught me off guard and stuck a needle in my neck. I managed to escape, but they followed us and caught up with us here. You’ve seen what they did to my ship… and my crew…”

“Don’t think about that now. First things first. We’re getting you out of here.”

All of a sudden, the ship gives another plaintive cry, louder than the previous one. They all raise anxious eyes to the ceiling, afraid to see it rupture. Cracks and small explosions echo along the walls once again, but the ship holds on.

“Sara, you have to come back now!” Reyes’s tense voice erupts on the radio. “The ship is about to break!”

“Pathfinder, Mr. Vidal is correct. I recommend leaving without delay. It is likely the ship will explode even before hitting the Scourge,” SAM confirms. “The damage to the Tempest would be critical.”

She doesn’t waste time arguing. “Cora, you heard that? Turn back immediately and prepare for evacuation. We’ll meet you at the airlock.”

“Yes, Ryder. We are turning back now.”

Sara seizes Rix’s helmet and jams it on his head, overlooking his cries of pain. She gets up in a hurry, pulling him up.

“I can’t leave without SAM,” he protests weakly.

She nods. “Liam, Peebee, help him. I’ll retrieve his SAM. Move, now!”

Her friends grab one of Rix’s arms each and walk back to where they came from, and Sara looks at SAM’s terminal in panic. It is the exact same model as the one in her bedroom on the Tempest, but she has no idea of what to do, how to take it without damaging it. “SAM, what do I do? Help me!”

Her fingers are trembling, but thanks to her AI’s precise instructions she’s able to disconnect the wires one by one. Seconds later, she holds the small device in her hands, internally praying that she won’t drop it in her haste. And she sprints after her friends.

 

They rush together in the corridor and join up with the other team in front of the airlock.

“Come on, get in now,” Scott exhorts them. “It won’t hold much longer!”

They gather in the small room while more metallic screams of agony fill the air. Waiting inside the cell-like chamber is torture for each of them. At every cracking sound, they fear they won’t make it. But the door reopens, at last, and they enter the depressurized shuttle bay.

Sara waits until all of them are out of the chamber. She stuffs SAM’s node into Vetra’s hands as she passes by. “Make sure they all get to the Tempest. I’ll stay behind to unfasten the cable.”

The turian acquiesces briskly and leads the way to the exit. The floor is shaking under their feet. More jumping than running, they cross the hangar in a hurry. The constant tremor has gained in power, and they watch in horror a large crack opening up above them.

“Faster!” Sara urges. “The exit is right there. Rope up and go!”

But the incentive was unnecessary. Within seconds, all her friends are securely attached to the cable. Liam and Peebee take good care to place Rix between them and, half-pushing, half-pulling him, they make their way toward the Tempest. One by one, Sara’s teammates go after them until she remains alone in the shuttle bay.

She looks around her. Noiseless explosions are now appearing along the ceiling, bursting in line in rapid succession and nearing her location. The vision is hypnotic. The fires are extinguished almost as soon as they break out given the lack of oxygen, but each of them tears a larger hole in the fuselage. It’s about to break.

Frantic shouts on the comms draw her out of her helpless trance. She doesn’t understand them, too mystified by her contemplation, but her body reacts before her mind does. She stumbles back, her hand landing on the cable and fastening it to the lock of her armor in an unconscious reflex. She turns to the emptiness of outer space and, without thinking, she jumps into the vacuum.

Her body remains inert, stunned and confused, in a suspended dream. Everything happened so quickly, she needs a moment to realize that she’s hovering in the vast emptiness between the two ships, her fate literally hung by a thread. Confronted with this terrible reality, she gets into motion. Using her jet pack, she unlocks the cable from the Attila and swiftly heads back to the shelter of her ship.

Her companions are waiting for her in the Tempest airlock, all safe and sound. Scott and Vetra help her climb back inside, visibly relieved.

“We’re good, Tempest. Get us out of here,” Cora commands on the radio. She gives Sara a dark look as she collapses on the floor and the door closes shut behind her.

Right in time. The Attila finally gives up, its tail breaking in a violent eruption around the point of rupture. Explosions spread on the hull, covering it with hundreds of red and sparkling dots. Fortunately, the force of the blow pushes the ship away from the Tempest. By some miracle, or perhaps thanks to the pilots’ dexterity, they manage to avoid the flames of the explosion and fly in the opposite direction, out of danger.

 

Sara sighs loudly. She takes off her helmet and runs tired fingers in her hair, glued to her skull by the sweat. Her head feels heavy, buzzing with confusion, and the back of her throat is strangled by a silent scream of pain. She just wishes she could lie down here and fall asleep on the floor, and sleep for minimum two or three days. But then she meets Cora’s gaze, angry and severe above her, and she knows that sleep is currently not an option.

“What the hell took you so long?” Stress causes the huntress to lose her temper. “We lost contact for 3 straight minutes, we were worried sick!”

Sara gets up on her feet, wincing. Her whole body is drained of energy, an extreme fatigue invading her limbs and mind. “Knock it off, Cora. I’m not dead already,” she murmurs. The harshness of her voice leaves a bitter taste in her mouth, but she chooses to ignore it. And with a dismissive shrug of the shoulders, she moves away before anyone can see her hands uncontrollably shaking.


End file.
